


The Road Not Taken

by Thatfan_girl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, BAMF Neville Longbottom, Dark Harry, F/F, F/M, Harry Needs a Hug, Harry is So Done, Harry is a Good Friend, Hurt Harry Potter, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Powerful Harry, The Deathly Hallows
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 34,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23232472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatfan_girl/pseuds/Thatfan_girl
Summary: Had he not been so blinded by his own greatness, maybe he would have seen the mistake he was making. Maybe if he had looked into the boy’s eyes and seen the unnatural and magical green, if he had seen the stillness with which he laid in the blankets, maybe, just maybe he could have prevented it all.But he didn't.And when morning came, and Harry was waiting for Petunia Dursley to open the door and take him in, Albus was absolutely sure that his plan would succeed.Only it didn't.Harry spent precisely six hours with the Dursley's before he was shoved into a car and taken to the furthest orphanage in London.***The light had given up on Harry so why should he help them?
Relationships: They are eleven so.... maybe not now, but we shall see ;)
Comments: 50
Kudos: 389





	1. a very unfortunate series of events

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language! 
> 
> Enjoy the story!!

Albus Dumbledore was proud to say that he was one of the, if not the most , intelligent man alive. Many wizards listened to his advices, and many more counted on him to protect the wizarding community from the dark forces. 

After the defeat of Grindelwald the general population started looking up to him as the leader of light, the protector of the good and just. When Lord Voldemort rose to power Albus’s words were the law, and his orders were to be followed blindly. 

It was a slow and steady process, but by the end of it Albus Dumbledore had transformed into a man that believed that his thoughts and opinions were the right ones, and opinions that differ to his should be discarded and changed.

So on Halloween, when he arrived to what was left of the once Potter’s house, nobody questioned his decision to take Harry and bring him to a muggle family. McGonagallwas the only one who put up a fight but quickly stopped once she learned they were Harry’s relatives.  


Had he not been so blinded by his own greatness, maybe he would have seen the mistake he was making. Maybe if he had looked into the boys eyes and seen the unnatural and magical green, if he had seen the stillness with which he laid in the blankets, maybe, just maybe he could have prevented it all. 

But he didn’t. 

And when morning came, and Harry was waiting for Petunia Dursley to open the door and take him in, Albus was absolutely sure that his plan would succeed. 

Only it didn’t. 

Harry spent precisely six hours with the Dursley’s before he was shoved into a car and taken to the furthest orphanage in London. There Petunia claimed she had no idea who he was and couldn’t possible raise another child. 

“ Does he have a name?” Asked Mrs Bennett , the head of the orphanage.

“ Harry…” Petunia paused for a second, and looked into Harry’s eyes. 

“ Harry Emrys , his name is Harry Emrys ” 


	2. Slowly, Deliberately

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry in advance for any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language. 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter!!

_.... I can help, if you’d like...  _

_..............why?.... you don’t know me..... _

_ Don’t worry just take my hand  _

_ Trust me  _

Harry woke up sweating. Every night dreams hunted his peaceful relaxation and every night some different memory would wake him up. That night was no different. Really he had no idea why even the good ones startled him. Years of living in a horror movie might be the answer. But he wasn’t  _ there _ anymore. He was safe, in the most luxurious manor Britain had to offer.His room was absolutely massive , decorated with magnificent works of art , the dark elegant furniture complemented the light gold wallpaper beautifully. But Harry loved his bed-sheets the most - gorgeous emerald green , his favorite color. 

The fact he had his own room was still an alien concept to him, so different from his life  _ there _ , and sometimes when he woke up he had to remind himself of where he was now and calm down. He wouldn’t want to cause an  _accident_ . 

Getting out of bed, he knew an important day was ahead - July 31th, his birthday. Even more importantly today marked the one year anniversary since his new family took him in. He quietly entered his bathroom and decided to treat himself today to a relaxing bath. He remembered the first time he walked into the room. Looking around at the white marble, the gold bathtub and sink and more shampoo bottles then he could count. Although what left him speechless weren’t even the marble statues ,which where used as decoration, it was the absolute enormous size of the room. Looking around he noted I think it’s bigger than the dining area in the orphanage. 

Putting on fresh clothes he looked at himself in the mirror attempting his daily task of taming his hair. Even though it has gotten much better since his days on the streets ,Harry still couldn’t quite manage getting it to slick back straight like had seen so many businessmen do. Instead his hair fell down in gentle silk like weaves covering the red scar that wouldn’t go away. The scar bothered Harry as it was the only “problem” the doctors hadn’t manage to fix. Even his poor vision had gotten much better after the laser surgery , so much so that glasses were no long a necessity for him. However the scar remained big and ugly, beginning from the middle left side of his forehead and ending just above his left eye. It was his only imperfection, a reminder of his own humanity.

While making his way towards the kitchen he saw most of the workers running around and getting everything ready for the party in the evening. He knew why they were stressed out-Mr. Ratcliffe , the man in whose manor he currently resided , was... interesting , and no one wanted to disappoint him .A titan in the business world and the richest man in Britain, many called him cold, unapproachable, unreachable but Harry knew his one weakness.  Amare .  His love and light, his first and only daughter. 

She was the one who found Harry, two years after he started living on the streets of dirty London, in some back ally. She offered him help and a place to stay. At first Harry didn’t know what to make of her. She had that delicate beauty, the one where unless you were born with it you could never hope to achieve it. Amare was kind and polite, well mannered and sweet. Like a poisonous apple she was delicious and deadly. 

But she _took his hand_.  The white porcelain a stark contrast to Harry’s almost black with dirt hand. She brought him to her father and sternly but delicately asked to allow him to stay. That was a year ago. Harry was a different person now. He no longer wore the old slacks he stole from the trash, no long had that starved look, now he was always sharply dressed in the best the stores could offer, and ate the most luxurious meals he could imagine.

“Amare” Harry greeted her while getting his cup of tea. 

She looked up from her own cup “ Emrys” and continued scrolling through her phone. 

“Is that how you treat the birthday boy?” He raided as eyebrow. 

“Is that how you treat the birthday girl?” The girl answered with a smile on her lips. 

“Touché” 

They sat in a comfortable silence both not being morning people. They didn’t need to talk to enjoy each other’s company, as Harry used to say to her  sometimes silence is a better way to communicate than words . 

Eventually Amare spoke again “have you heard? Apparently the prime minister is supposed to come this evening”. 

“The prime minister coming to a simple birthday party?” Harry smirked “must be mad”. 

“You and I both know he is coming because you caught his eye” she leaned towards him lowering her voice “ in fact I heard he is bringing his daughter with him”. 

Tilting his head Harry sipped his tea “ interesting ”. Amare smirked at him.

“Or maybe... he wants to celebrate the birthday of the most influential man’s daughter” she spoke almost nonchalantly, gracefully getting out of her chair and moving toward him “maybe it has nothing to do with you at all”.

He put his hand on his heart faking a hurt expression “ Amare you are wounding me” 

She laughed and processed to hug him “happy birthday Harry” 

“ happy birthday Amare “

Harry was sure he had never been quite as happy as he was now, in the arms of his best friend. 

* * *

In Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore began to panic. 

Harry Potter was no longer at the Dursley’s. In fact he was also not alone, he apparently resided at Ratcliffe Manor in Britain with another soon to be student. 

There  had to be a mistake. He  ** needed ** Harry to be with the Dursleys. 

He made up his mind. Tomorrow instead of sending the letters he will pay them a visit and hopefully he will put his worries to rest. 

* * *

It truly was a beautiful summer day. The shining sun painted the garden surrounding the manor in a beautiful golden light, warming up the grass and making it particularly fun to lay on. Which is why Harry and Amare chose to escape the pre party hustle and instead relax underneath one of the bigger trees right besides the rose garden. 

“What do you think will happen to us”

“What do you mean ? “ Harry looked at Amare trying to understand the meaning of the sudden question. 

She turned towards him “something big is going to happen today, ” his blank stare making her even more passionate“ I can feel it Harry, something is coming! ”.

Above her the leaves started to shake. Harry moved his gaze towards the sky. 

“you did it again” he smirked as Amare looked at her own doing. 

Suddenly her friend sat up and pulled his hand in front of him. She watched him concentrate for a second before all the leaves fell down from the tree into a big pile. 

“HARRY! “ 

He only laughed and threw some leaves at her, as if she wasn’t covered from head to toe.

“Oh you must think yourself a comedic genius” 

“In fact yes I do” 

“Idiot” 

Moving towards her and and taking both her hands he stared deep into her blue eyes. 

“You and I, we are different, not like  them . One day we will show them true power. You feel it coming and so do I. But don’t worry I won’t let anyone hurt you, not again” 

The girl could feel tears in her eyes “ and I won’t let them hurt you” she whispered. 

He smiled. 

“Miss Ratcliffe, Mr Emrys! Your presence is required in the ballroom” they heard one of the butlers call out. 

“We will be right there!” answered Amare “ and here I thought we got away” she continued in a much lower voice. 

Harry raised one eyebrow. One branch started shaking suspiciously. 

“ **Stop it Harry**! ” 

* * *

She was his best friend ,the first one to look at him doing magic and not even flinch. In fact she showed him some of her own. Harry remembered one family that wanted to adopt him, how they screamed when he turned the lights on and off without touching anything. He was five at the time. They decided he was the antichrist and they- well it didn’t matter what they did. It was in the past now.  Besides he made them pay. 

As he blew out the eleven candles on his cake that was so magnificent it could have been displayed in a museum instead , he couldn’t help but be thankful for his companion.  He looked at her and smiled as the rest of the guests clapped. He knew only a small portion of them, as they were mostly politicians and businessmen but he could see them looking at him with obvious interest.  He had that affect on people. He was only eleven but could already put models to shame ,and having that mystery surrounding him- the poor orphan who held so much grace and wisdom, who was rumored to be able to enchant anyone who spoke to him and make them do anything he asked, helped his image of potential even more. 

Amare smiled back at him blowing out her own birthday cake, with exactly eleven candles. Neither of them knew the significance of that particular birthday, nor did they know how much their life would change in the morning, but at that moment they knew they would stay together no matter what happened. 

* * *

“Harry! Harry  wake up dammit!” 

The first thing Harry noticed was the suspicious lack of nightmares, but really it was probably because of the bottle of alcohol he and Amare managed to smuggle at the party, effectively knocking him out. The second was that he was being woken up, quite rudely, by a distressed Amare. 

“I am.... awake” he managed. 

“Barely. Now get dressed! There is some strange man waiting to meet as, dad said it’s important ” she hurried out of the room. 

“I will be right there-“ and flopped back into the pillow. 

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was proud to say he was not easily surprised. Ratcliffe Manor however was... surprising. Maybe it was the wealth which radiated from everywhere, maybe it was the amount of guards and servants walking around or it might have been simply its size, but the headmaster was impressed to say the least. 

After being sat down in a quite spacious study room, which contained three coaches, a fire place and what seemed like a small library, he was waiting anxiously for the meeting with Harry, tapping his foot in anticipation.  He could see him clearly in his vision, the messy dark hair, the mischievousness in his eyes, the obvious likeness to his father. Smiling to himself he began to relax. What a mistake. 

Ten minutes passed and in walked two children, a boy and a girl. The girl, Albus guessed was Amare, but the boy..... it couldn’t be him ...

Harry James Potter looked as if someone took James’s features and twisted them. Sure he had the black hair, but it was laying delicately and softly . He lacked his father’s full face that never quite lost the roundness it had ,instead it was all sharp edges , as if he was a carefully made marble statue. He didn’t have the tan skin James had, instead it was closer to Lily’s only it was less warm and more pale, almost sickly looking. He was tall where his parents were short, he was thin where his parents were chubby. 

And he started walking forward, slowly, deliberately, as if his mere presence demanded attention. 

Dumbledore desperately tried to ignore the small voice in the back of his mind that recalled another boy who walked like that, another boy whose back was straight, and head held high. Who exuded such power, such calculation and calm. 

Quickly composing himself he smiled. “You must be Mr Harry Potter and Miss Amare Ratcliffe, I presume. “ he didn’t miss the slight look of surprise on both their features, although it was probably due to his knowledge of their names, “My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I’m the headmaster of a very special school for special children, like yourself , named Hogwarts.” 

“Special? How so” asked Harry politely. 

Dumbledore’s smile grew bigger, his favorite part coming up. “Have you ever done something you couldn’t explain?” He leaned in ,lowering his voice into a mysterious tone “something that could be only caused by magic?”. 

He could see he had gotten their full attention now, although neither looked surprised- intrigued more like it. 

“You are both wizards” 

The children exchanged a look and he was prepared for them to dismiss his announcement. 

“So what we can do... it really is magic” Amare whispered looking awed.

“I knew it” murmured Harry happily. 

Albus shoved the bad feeling from earlier deep into the back of his head, with his eye twinkling he asked, “and what can you do?”. 

“Oh nothing much, just leaves shaking when we are mad, one time Amare changed her own heir color when Mr Ratcliffe refused to let her dye it. Small things really” the boy who lived said nonchalantly, next to him Amare shook her head in agreement. 

Albus prayed that they were telling the truth. 

“Well you will be glad to hear that in Hogwarts you will learn and preform spells, study the history of the wizarding community and above all become exceptional wizards. Here I have two letters for the both of you with a list of supplies you must buy before the start of the first year,” he handed them both their letters, which they took with interest ,” of course as you both are not... familiar with the wizarding world you will be escorted to-“ 

“We can go alone” Harry cut in. Dumbledore looked at him ,his smile slightly flattering. “I mean, we don’t want to be a bother to a busy men like yourself, we would just need directions. I am sure Mr Ratcliffe would be happy to take us, sir,” he finished it all we the most innocent smile Albus had ever seen and he could help but love the shy and polite boy in front of him. 

“Of course my boy, but before that I must ask, what do you know about your parents?” 

Harry looked confused by the question “nothing sir, I have never met them”. 

The headmaster looked sad “my boy this will be hard for you to hear, Amare if you could leave us-“ 

“She is my best friend, she stays” Harry looked towards Amare and she in turn smiled at him and placed her hand on top of his. 

“Very well. Just like the muggle world , it’s what we call non wizards, the wizarding world has its own... evil. There was a man named Lord Voldemort who searched forpower and caused distraction to anyone who stood in his way. He was a cruel dictator and many wizards apposed to him. Two of them where your parents Harry” he looked at him but Harry’s face was blank,” on the night of Halloween he killed them and attempted to kill you too, but he did not succeed” at that he saw Harry getting more interested “ instead his own spell backfired and killed him instead”. 

He looked deep in thought. 

Albus gently finished “you are famous Harry. You are the Boy Who Lived. Many say you are the reason the war has ended”. 

“Is it really over?” Harry looked at Dumbledore “is he really dead?”. 

“Well such questions should not concern a you boy like you, just know you are safe” 

Harry gave him a small smile, which reassured him, even if his stare remained blank. 

* * *

Overall Dumbledore would call the meeting a success. After explaining how to get to Diagon Alley and giving them their train tickets he apparated back to Hogsmeade. Although Harry didn’t look much like he had expected he was still a very nice young boy, who with the right guidance could be what Dumbledore needed him to be. 

But how did he end up with that family? Albus sighed. It’s time to pay the Dursley’s a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry will use more magic as the story progresses, right now he doesn’t show his powers too much since he was usually punished for it in the orphanage.


	3. the Gucci store is right over there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this chapter!

_****‘Dear Mr. Potter,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1.’****_  
  
He was a wizard. The thought sent shivers down his spine  
Ever since he had gotten his letter Harry reread it until he was able to recall it in his sleep. An actual proof he was special, different and better then all those children who tormented his every breath in _that house_. He had known he was different before the letter, of course. His abilities were... exquisite to say the least. He recalled levitating a man and slamming him against a brick wall after he tried to stab Harry in some back ally. The sound of breaking bones had never been quite as satisfying.

After meeting the headmaster _-Dumbledore... was it?_ \- he and Amare talked throughout the whole night. The conversation with him, although brief, was very much impactful.  
His name was not Harry ****Emrys**** but Harry ****Potter**** , which bothered him more than he cared to admit. It seemed like everything he had known about himself was, in one way or another, wrong.

For starters, his parents wanted him. They _loved_ him. It seemed like the hole in his chest grew three times its size, trying to suffocate him. The never ending feeling of abandonment had never felt as strong as in those moments. What wouldn’t he give to feel the love of his parents, to go to them when he is in need of advice, for them to help him. But the warm hand of Amare grounded him, reminding him of a different home and a different family.  
And there was also the fame problem. He was famous, which was.... well he still didn't know what to think of it, since he was so used to being practically invisible. But he did know that the first thing on his list, once he got to Diagon Ally, was to find some information considering his past. The answers Dumbledore presented him were less than satisfactory.  
  
So much to think about. So much to do.   
They were laying on his soft bed facing each other, hands intertwined, the moonlight illuminating the room .“We have to get to Diagon Ally as fast as possible” he whispered, the sound barely heard.   
  
Turned out 'as fast as possible' had been the next day. Mr. Ratcliffe gave them one of his credit cards and Amare ordered her driver to take them to the address Albus gave them. They wore their best casual clothes, wanting to make a good first impression. Harry put on black jeans and a red Ralph Lauren polo shirt, styling his hair to cover most of his scar. Amare wore one of her beautiful grey dresses which made her look even more doll like, her long black hair carefully braided.

"We need a plan" said Amare,as they sat in the black Volkswagen, a soundproof glass divider hiding the conversation from the driver ,"How do we act?"

Harry looked up from his phone, and smirked at the girl.

"We can always be ourselves"

"Please, don't make me laugh" she rolled her eyes "I think we need to attract as little attention as possible"

"I can't help it... attention is attracted to me, I tried to tell her off, but she just keeps coming back"

Amare laughed softly, and shoved Harry. "Just make sure to charm them then".

"Don't worry" his smile turning dark “I can be quite _persuasive_ " 

After an hour they were parked in front of an ugly looking pub, with the sign 'The Leaky Cauldron' hanged above the door.  
Amare took one look at it -“No”  
“I really do hope not all the wizarding community looks like this” sighed Harry “if I wanted to look at trash I would have stayed on the streets”.   
“There's still time to change our minds, you know, the Gucci store is right over there"   
Harry gave her a distracted smile and got out of the car. He had to admit she had a point. The building looked even uglier up close and when they walked in he had to stop himself from gagging at the odd smells some of the customers produced.  
A frown appeared on Amares pretty face “we are children, this is a pub. Won’t they throw us out?”  
Harry gave her a shrug and walked up to the bar tender, putting on the most innocent expression he could master.   
“Hello?”  
“Oh hello to you! How can I help you lad? ” said the man, who looked like he could really use a shower, in Amare’s opinion. She looked so out of place there, with her expensive clothing, not a hair out of place.   
“Me and my sister” Harry pointed at her “need to get to Diagon Ally, but we don’t know how”.   
“Ah! New students! I see,” he smiled at them reassuringly “call me Tom. I will take you to the entrance”.   
“Thank you sir” Harry said, making sure to put on a relieved expression.  
Walking behind Tom the girl moved closer to Harry, whispering “had I not known you beforehand I would have thought you a saint”.  
He smirked “but you know better”.

While walking, Harry noticed just how _strangely_ dressed most of the people where. Some wore bright purple robes, like Halloween costumes, and others wore what looked like muggle clothes, except it was so outdated there was no way they bought it in the last twenty years. With excitement he saw one man with a purple turban using a wand to levitate a cup to his lips, such a casual use of magic.

They stood outside, in front of a badly built brick wall. The kids looked at each other, Harry with slight worry and Amare with confusion. It was not the first time someone brought him to a dead end.

Sensing their fear Tom quickly started to explain, "This is the entrance, you just have to tap your wand on seven bricks in the correct order-" he proceeded to take out his wand and tap on the wall, and to their astonishment, it started to shake and reorganize itself to resemble an archway into the busiest street Harry had ever seen “- and, welcome to Diagon Ally”

It wasn’t clean nor was it fancy in any way, but it _reeked_ of magic. Every store, and it seemed like there were dozens, had its own aura, and Harry felt high. Looking at his companion, he could see the same expression on her face, the pure joy of all the puzzle pieces finally fitting. He could see Tom giving them a knowing smile “Before you run off I would suggest going to the bank and exchanging some money” he pointed to a huge white building at the end of the street “it’s right over there, Gringotts Wizarding Bank” leaning closer he lowered his voice” just be careful, the goblins can be quite… unpleasant”.

“Thank you sir” Amare said just as Harry started walking forwards, as if in a trance.

He couldn’t take his eyes of the bank, something there was _calling_ him, inviting him in. Amare, it seemed , was not as affected as he was. She looked at every store in awe and even gasped at one that sold potions - _Harry we have to go here!-_ but soon enough they stood outside the grand building, it’s snowy color a breath of fresh air.

“Harry! Look!” she whispered urgently, although there was no need for her to point them out for Harry to notice the two guards standing beside the huge bronze doors. They were shorter than Amare, with swarthy, clever faces and pointed beards. He found their abnormally long fingers to be unsettling and their overall aura to be menacing. As the duo walked past the entrance the goblins bowed to which they received a bow in return. Neither of the kids noticed the shocked expressions the guards had, having never seen a wizard show them such respect.

Getting to another pair of doors, silver this time, the black haired boy noticed words engraved upon them:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn_ _,_

 _Must pay most dearly in their turn_ _._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours_ _,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

“Remind me to print this and put it on the door to my room” Harry said.

Amare laughed nervously, clearly never have been the subject of threats- her father usually the one to intimidate others. What they saw beyond the doors was incredible. About a hundred goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales and examining treasures unlike anything Harry had ever seen. The marble hall itself was breathtaking, the high ceiling supported by enormous pillars, the dark wood flooring a work of art in itself. Amare was taking it in, entranced by the beauty of it all. They walked over to one of the counter, were a stern looking goblin was busy writing what seemed like the longest report ever.

“Good morning sir, may we get some help?” Harry's question went unanswered.

“We need to exchange money, where can we do that?” Amare attempted. The goblin continued ignoring them, but now he also seemed annoyed at the two kids who bothered him during work. 

Harry started losing patience “We said sir, _we need help_ ” he clenched his hand and the goblin started to choke, looking at Harry with fear in his eyes. “- of…of course ….sssir” he barely managed to say. The boy relaxed his hand and he could breathe again.

“And who has the pleasure of helping us…” Harry gestured his hand in the goblins general direction, still annoyed .

“It’s Redstreel, young sir”

“Well Redsteel, like we said earlier” the creature swallowed loudly “we need to exchange money”

“Of course, we just need to know your names, everything has to be documented you see”

Harry smiled politely as he looked again at the long report laying on the table “yes I can… see”

“My name in Amare Ratcliffe, “she gestured at her friend “and this is Harry E-Potter”.

Redsteel leaned over the counter in shock “Harry Potter?”

“is there a problem? “

“No, no Mr. Potter, we have been waiting for your return” he said and started getting off the chair” if you could please wait for just a second, while I call for Griphook” and he was off through one of the many doors.

“Rude, that’s what he is” Amare said, crossing her arms in distaste.

“I wonder if I’m going to get that reaction each time I say my name”

She snorted “bet you would love that”

“Ah Mr. Potter if you could just follow me” an older, and seemingly higher ranked goblin, came to a stop in front of them “my name is Griphook and I must discus some issues considering you, Mr. Potter, Miss Ratcliffe if you could wait here,”

Harry hummed “Lead the way, sir”.

They walked through a set of doors into a massive office, with a dark wood desk in the middle, sitting down- Harry on one side and the goblin on the other- they began.

“Let’s skip the small talk and get straight into why you brought me here,” the boy said seriously, leaning back. Griphook thought to himself he had no business being so young and so beautiful already, adding a sharp tongue and a clever mind into the mix was just dangerous.

“Well Mr. Potter, you might be aware of some vaults that must come into your possession, as you are in fact the only heir-“ he looked at the calculated stare on Harry's face “- but of course such… delicate matters must be checked, which is why an inheritance test is in order”

“I understand, sir, but I have no way of proving my identity”

“that is of no concern, a blood test is more than sufficient” he rose from his chair grabbing a large piece of parchment and what seemed like a beautifully carved dagger” all you have to do is drip a few drops of blood on this parchment,” he handed the items to Harry” your family ancestry will appear, and so will the vaults and properties in your possession”.

Harry looked at the piece of paper in his hands in obvious interest. He took the dagger and made a small cut on the tip of his finger, letting three drops fall down. Fascinated he saw how the blood immediately disappeared, red words appearing instead.

****_Name: Harry James Potter Black Slytherin Gryffindor Peverell Emrys_ ** **

_Biological Mother: Lily Potter Nee- Evans (Deceased)_

_Biological Father: James Potter (Deceased)_

_Godfather: Sirius Orion Black_

_ Vaults: _

_v_ _Potter Vault (available)_

 _v_ _Slytherin Vault (available)_

 _v_ _Gryffindor Vault (available)_

 _v_ _Black Vault (not available)_

 _v_ _Peverell Vault (available)_

 _v_ _Emrys Vault (available)_

The list went on and on detailing all his numerous properties and assets. Harry had to take a deep breath. This was all too much. And if he took Griphook’s gasp as any indicator ,it was also a revelation to the goblin.

One thing at a time- Starting with his name.

“Is it normal for wizards to have so many surnames?” he asked.

“It’s not unheard of, but ,the sheer _importance_ of yours, is… I mean… it has ** **never**** happened before”.

Harry looked up at Griphook. He really had no idea what names meant in the wizarding world but he knew discretion was key and if muggle politics were any indicator, the less people knew the better. “Can I use just Potter? I don’t want to give people heart attacks each time I introduce myself”.

“Yes I think that would be most wise”

He started tracing the letters with his finger, _such strange names the wizards had_ , when he suddenly stopped. “Emrys” he whispered, deep in thought.

“Yes, that is most impressive, we have lost hope the heir would come”

“Why? Who were the Emrys family?”

The goblin frowned “Why it’s the ancestry of Merlin himself, considered the most powerful dynasty in the wizarding community, however an heir had not presented himself for more than a thousand years, until now” he bowed his head “of course”.

Harry hummed. The fact Merlin really had existed amused him slightly.

“Who is Sirius Black?” _who was the man that abounded him to live in that orphanage?_

The goblin gave a nervous smile, as if sensing Harry’s anger “a most unfortunate story- he was sent to Azkaban for the betrayal of lily- your parents.”

“Did he now”

“Well that is the official reason” Griphook smiled with all his sharp teeth “but we think there is something else there, a different reason”

“Someone wanted to keep him quite...” Harry slowly said “do you have proof?”

“One of his offences was the murder of Peter Pettigrew _and yet his vault is still in use_ ”

Harry smirked. What a useful little creature was Griphook.

“Well well well. I think.." he wanted to capture Pettigrew and make him pay "we should see my vaults"

* * *

The trip to the vaults was less than pleasant. Riding in a small cart down a dimly lit narrow passageway was _not_ how he liked to spend his time, thank you very much, but all was forgiven after getting to the destination. Each one contained mountains of gold, but it was nothing compared to the gems and jewels that seemed to flow like rivers. Harry noticed that most of the precious stones in Gryffindor’s vault were red, while Slytherin’s one had emeralds. Merlin’s Vault was most impressive- Three stories high and stacked with books, parchment, armor and gold. He attempted to take some money but was stopped by the goblin “Just take this card, works just like a regular muggle card, and there is no need to carry gold with you”

He took something from each of the vaults, to examine later, but his favorite thing by far was from the Potter's vault. It was a small photo album of his parents, only the pictures moved! He couldn’t wait to flip through the pages and find similarities between him and them.

“One last thing Mr. Potter”

They were standing once again in the office, only now Harry had a small bag that was enchanted to be bigger inside than outside, containing all his things.

“Shoot” he said, getting tired from the day.

“Here” The goblin presented him with six rings in a delicate black box “are your heir rings”

Harry examined them- the Potter ring was gold with a ruby stone in the middle and impossibly delicate carvings on the sides. The Gryffindor and Slytherin ones were similar. Both were bigger than the Potter one and more detailed- One was gold with a diamond in the middle, a red lion carved into the stone. The other was made out of diamonds and in the middle was an emerald with a carving of a silver snake. The Peverell one was simple, made out of silver with a dark purple stone and a strange symbol which looked like a triangle. The Black’s one was made of pure dark precious stones and Merlin’s one was made of what looked like glass and inside were delicately written moving runes.

Harry put them on and was surprise to see them disappear.

“Only those you want will show. Each one has some sort of enchantment on it to protect the wearer, so it would be most wise to always have them on”

Harry nodded in understanding and focused. After a second the Potter ring was visible and he smiled. “Good”.

“Now young sir you must go, your friend is waiting”

“It has been most pleasant” Harry smiled at the goblin and bowed. He went out the door, immediately seeing Amare looking pretty as always chatting with that rude goblin…Redsteel?

“Harry! Took you long enough!”

Smiling,he wrapped his arms around her.

" _But you won't believe what i found out_ "


	4. Bad Taste

“You were in there for four hours, I’m hungry, and we probably won’t find anything better here.”

“I am not eating in a place called ‘ _The Chosen One’_ ”

“Well why not!”

“Because I _am_ the chosen one! The fact this place even exists is fu-

“Would you like to order?”

Amare looked up from her own menu and smiled at the waitress. She was short and chubby, with what looked like the worst sense of style. Not that she could compere, of course, everyone there looked like a badly written fiction movie.

“One lightning fudge please”

Harry continued stubbornly looking out the window.

“And for you…?”

Feeling a sharp pain in his foot, he rewarded Amare with a look that could kill.

“Onesaviorsmeal...”

“Excuse me I haven’t hea-“

“One savior’s meal please”

He could swear he saw the waitress giggling as she walked to the kitchens.

“You are one horrible human being” he hissed, clearly betrayed.

“Oh stop with the drama and tell me” leaning closer ” what happened with the goblins”

And that he did. It took him half an hour to explain everything that went down, especially focusing on his heritage and the vaults, showing her his rings as she exclaimed excitedly.

“You know, “Amare took a bite of her fudge, which unfortunately for Harry ,lived up to the name- the fudge was shaped like a lightning emoji, which really wasn’t how the scar looked like. “I’m not surprised you are the heir to Merlin”

“Mmm”

“The fact he exists is…” she shrugged noncommittally.

“Yes…but think of all the power the name holds, what I can achieve with just a simple introduction. Imagine what our combined status allows us to do”

“But _what_ do you want to do?”

Harry didn’t answer. What did he want to achieve? Revenge? Power?

“I guess” he slowly said” we just have to wait and see”

She finished her meal but Harry’s was left untouched. “We should probably get on with the shopping, it’s getting late and I _still_ don’t have a wand”

* * *

“First-year students will require: Uniform, Three Sets of Plain Work Robes, One Pair of Protective Gloves, One Winter Cloak … I think…” She looked up, concentrating” yeah this is the place, ‘ _Madame Malkins Robes for All Occasions’_ ”.

Walking in they were immediately met with a squat, smiling witch “Hogwarts, dears?”

“Yes Madam “said Amare, carefully looking around the store.

“Got the lot of you here- another young man is being fitted right now, in fact”

Said young man stood at the back of the store with what seemed like a permanent disinterested expression. He had white hair and sharp features, and Harry was immediately reminded of all the rich kids he was forced to meet during parties.

“If you could just stand here-“

Madam Malkin slipped a long robe over Harry’s head and began to pin it to the right length. Amare sat down on a stool nearby waiting her turn.

“Hello “said the boy “you two are going to Hogwarts too?”

They both nodded.

“well, my Father” Harry did not like the way he said that, as if he was speaking about the most important person in the world “is next door buying my books and mother’s up the street looking at wands” Amare raised an eyebrow, “ I’m going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don’t see why first years can’t have their own. I think I will bully my father into getting me one and I’ll smuggle it in somehow.”

Harry looked at him, squinting.

“Have _you_ got your own broom?”

“No.”

“Do you play-

“No.”

“Well _I_ do- My father says it’s a crime if I’m not picked to play for my house” only years of practice stopped the girl from rolling her eyes- was he really that blind to his surroundings?” and I must say, I agree. Know what House you’ll be in yet?”

“No, but please, do _enlighten_ me”

“Well...” he seemed to have caught on to the mood in the room, “no one really knows until they get there…” he voice was getting quitter as he went and Harry began smirking” I know I will be in Slytherin-“

“Slytherin?” it slipped before Harry could stop it. Slytherin? But that’s one of his surnames! He looked at Amare and saw her deep in thought. He had to buy some history books before he embarrasses himself.

The boy, on the other hand seemed delighted to have finally caught Harry’s attention, completely missing his tone.

“Well yes, all my family has been- what are you, a Hufflepuff or something, I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?”

Amare looked up at him, her pretty face blank from expression “Would you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Would you really leave?”

Looking at the ground, his faced turned slightly red “well, I mean… uh-”

“Don’t say things you don’t really mean, it can leave a bad taste” she once again lost interest and resumed staring at the different fabrics, fascinated by the needles, which moved by themselves.

“There you go dear” Harry stepped down from the stool, “now if you could come here…”

Amare, just like Harry, begun being fitted. The concept wasn’t new to her, of course, since most of her clothes were custom made.

The few minutes of silence were apparently enough for the boy, who now chose to look strictly at Harry, taking offence to the girl’s previous statement.

“So are your parents here?”

“No.”

“My Father would have-“

“Do you really have to include your father into every sentence?”

The boy was now bright red, and annoyed, which Harry thought was a dangerous combination when one is such a prat.

“Who do you two _think_ you are?” he snapped “Do you _know_ who my family is?”

“Do I care, would be a more accurate question” 

Harry knew he was walking a thin line, but he was getting bored and Amare was smiling, which really made it worth it.

“My Father will hear about -OUCH!-“

“Stop. Moving!”

Madam Malkin’s stern tone, and getting pinched by a needle must have done it for the pale boy, since he proceeded to stare at the ground furiously for the reminder of the fitting. The two friends finished buying their robes and exited the store, slightly amused from the interaction.

The black haired girl looked at her list again.”- The Standard Book of Spells… A History of Magic… we should probably buy the books last since they would be the heaviest. Let’s go buy us trunks!” She dragged Harry to the closest storage shop _(‘Wizarding Bags and Trunks for the Witch and Wizard’_ ). Looking around the various items, he got the idea that there was more to them than met the eye. He got his confirmation when, after opening one trunk, he saw a ladder leading into a large room.

“Check this out” he called to Amare.

“Neat,” she chuckled “do you think they do customs?”

“As a matter of fact, we do”

The kids turned around with a yelp, seeing the owner of the store smiling behind his counter. 

“Hogwarts?” after seeing them both nod he continued “We have all sorts of school trunks here, the more simple ones have only a feather charm on them, but I assure you they still get the job done”

“And the more… complicated ones?” Amare asked, clearly intrigued.

“Some have an expansion charm on them, and some are just made out of more expensive materials, we of course have specific ones that are tailored to the customers’ needs, such as libraries with strong locking charms. But “he shuffled uneasily “they really are less affordable”

Amare smirked “I assure you” she pulled a credit card, the same as Harry’s,” price is certainly not a problem”.

The owner’s eyes slightly widened “well what can I get you?”

It took them one hour to settle on two school trunks. Amare’s was turquoise with silver straps. The beauty of the design was in the delicately drawn mermaids, which moved about along the sides. Her initials were engraved near the handle with one mermaid constantly guarding them. Harry chose something more subtle in design, but not in materiel- his maroon trunk was made out of dragon skin and the straps were pure gold. Both trunks contained locking charms- which allowed only the owner to open them- feather light charms, and expansion charms. Harry chose to include a library in his (he could summon shelves to appear instead of the normal storage area). Overall they concluded the purchase as a success and after shaking the owner’s hands for more time than necessary they continued on.

“I think we should head to the Apothecary,” she scanned the street for a second” There! It’s the store I had seen on our way to the bank!”

She really didn’t have to point at it for Harry to see it. Colored smoked was leaking from the inside through the windows, and the smell was lingering. Fascinated, he looked at all the shelves in the dimly lit room, packed from top to bottom with all sorts of _things_. He moved on to products which hadn’t been alive beforehand, after grossly noting one ingredient with ‘ _frog droppings_ ’ on the label. Stopping himself from buying a gold cauldron and picking up the rest of the needed supplies, he was ready to go.

“Amare?”

“Just one second!” he heard a squeak. Turning towards the noise, to his amusement, he saw his friend almost shaking with excitement, bouncing on her feet as she ran from one ingredient to another, throwing whatever she found interesting into her cauldron.

Harry let her have some fun and walked out to wait outside, ‘ _The Magical Menagerie_ ’ stood directly in front of him. Sending one last glance at the Apothecary store he moved closer to the pet’s shop. A hectic place indeed- each animal was producing a different sound, and what animals at that! The most familiar one was a cat, but even it seemed to be magical. He could even hear one tiny snake saying ‘ _so many people today_ ’ and no one seemed to care that it just talked! 

“Need some help?”

Harry smiled politely at the short and kind looking lady “I have never had a pet, and… there just seems to be a lot to choose from”.

He could see her practically melting at his sweet tone and pretty face “don’t worry dear, each wizard finds a companion here”

She showed him two cats, a toad, an owl, and something called a niffler, some mice and even a lizard. Harry knew the letter said he could bring one animal only, but he just couldn’t decide between an owl and a snake. The lady, which he found out is called Shelby, understood the problem, and showed him a beautiful tiny snake, which he could wrap around his wrist as a bracelet and hide from the teachers. The snake was asleep, his blue scales glittering under the store light, and Harry couldn’t wait to hear what he sounded like.

Walking out of the store with two cages, he was more than happy. He bought, besides the snake, a beautiful snowy owl.

“Harry! Where have you be- is that an owl?”

“An amazing observation, your skill of deduction deserves more praise”

“Oh shut it” 

The trip to the bookstore was a highlight for Harry. The shelves were stacked to the ceiling with the most peculiar books, and he couldn’t wait to read them all. Books so large he couldn’t even pick them up, so small he had to squint in order to see them, and even some that could turn invisible! He ended up picking, besides the required one’s, ten more books such as _Hogwarts, a History_ , _Wizarding etiquette, Introduction to the Advanced Defensive Spells_ and some next year textbooks. He even picked a brochure with which he could purchase books throughout the year.

* * *

Finally their trip was coming to an end. Only one item was missing- a wand.

They stood outside _‘Ollivanders’_ filled with nervous energy. This was it, the last piece which would forever tie them to the magic world. The store looked as unimportant as it could get, narrow and shabby with peeling gold letters over the door which read ‘ _Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C’,_ a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. As they entered in, a single bell rung, echoing in the empty space, occupied with a single chair. Fascinated, Harry noticed that the strangely looking wallpaper was, in fact, hundreds upon hundreds of wand boxes, placed tightly together.

“Good evening” They quickly turned towards the soft spoken voice.

“Good evening, Sir” said Amare, slightly unnerved. He man looked as though he had never set foot outside the store, and impossibly old. For a second Harry wondered if magic allowed wizards to live longer.

“Ah, yes” he moved towards Harry, his eyes shining in the gloomy store, “yes, yes. I thought I’d be seeing you soon. Harry Potter” squinting his eyes as though seeing Harry for the first time he paused, “Don’t resemble your parents much. A pity, some would say,”

Harry didn’t like the way he spoke. It had an edge to it, as if he knew something others did not. 

“But it seems only yesterday your mother was in here buying her first wand- Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm works. “

He could sense Amare moving uneasily next to him.

“Ah. An unfamiliar face.” Moving now closer to the girl, “and who might you be, young miss.”

“Amare, sir. Amare Ratcliffe.”

“Which is your wand arm?”

She was taken back by the question, “Ah- my left hand”

Humming, Ollivander took some measuring tape and began working. “Your father, Mister Potter, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. Excellent for transfiguration. You see, each wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hair, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivanders wands are the same, and achieving the same results with a different wand then your own, is impossible.”

He finally stopped and moved to grab some boxes. “There you go- try this, Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches.”

Amare took the wand, unsure. Seeing Ollivander nod she flicked the wand and a few pages exploded on the desk “No no no- let’s see, maybe this one.”

She tried more than ten wands before he disappeared into the back of the store, searching for something.

“Seems lik-”

“Don’t even _start_ Harry”

Coming back, they heard him mumbling, “-I wonder, now- yes, why not- unusual combination- I thought maybe young Harry- but alas”

He handed her a wand,” Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple.”

Amare took it. She felt magic surround her, welcoming her home. Red sparks flew out, dancing, before gently hitting the floor. The experience was unlike anything she had known beforehand, closing her eyes, she soaked it in.

“Oh bravo! Yes indeed. But how curious…. How very curious”

Frowning Harry asked,” Curious? Why?”

Mr. Ollivander stared at him, before silently moving closer, so close, they were almost touching.

“I am sorry to say Mister Potter, that I sold the wand that did this to you. “ His fingers hovered next to the boy’s scar but Harry just stared back blankly, “Thirteen-and-a- half inches. Yew. Powerful wand. Had I known… “

“You couldn’t have predicted the future. I’m sure he didn’t know it at the time either”

“But the wand… Remember Mister Potter, the wand chooses the wizard” he glanced at Amare “I remember each one I have ever sold. Every single one. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, Miss Amare, gave another feather- just one another”

“And who has the other wand, Mr. Ollivander?” Harry asked carefully.

“You know him, Mister Potter. He gave you your scar”

The store was quite afterwards. Harry was deep in thought and Amare seemed entranced with her wand. The wizard measured him quickly, as if trying to finish as fast as possible, not that Harry minded, he was tired and honestly wanted to go home. 

“Let’s start, Mister Potter. I have a feeling you will turn out to be a tricky customer,” he walked towards the wall, pulling boxes out and murmuring to himself “no problem, no problem, but which one- I think, maybe… here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches , springy-“

Trying to wave the wand the same way he had seen Amare do previously, he was disappointed to see that nothing happened. No spark, no magic.

“No matter, try this one- Oak, twelve inches-“

Nothing.

“This one- Maple, ten inches-“

“Maybe this one-“

“No bother, try this-“

Harry tried and tried and _tried_. But _nothing_ happened. He tuned out Mr. Ollivander, only taking the wands he presented. Doubt creeped into his mind- Maybe, he wasn’t magical? Maybe he was just Harry, the strange boy from the orphanage.

He stopped and closed his eyes.

Maybe he should go home.

 _Maybe he should give up_.

He felt a slight pull in his stomach. Probably the nerves.

He felt Mr. Ollivander moving away from him. He, too, must have given up.

Was Dumbledore wrong? Will they erase his memories of this world?

The slight movement in the air signaled the return of the store owner, but Harry didn’t want to see him.

“Mister Potter…” He probably wanted him out of the store,

“-There is one last wand,” something in his voice brought the boy back. It was less than a whisper, and what was that? Shame? Or maybe fear. Harry didn’t know.

He looked at wand inside the box. It seemed old, aged. As if made a long, long time ago, and forgotten. It looked nothing like the other wands he had tried- it was blood red, with a delicate design of something Harry couldn’t pinpoint just yet.

Slowly he reached for it, and pulled it from its silky case. At first there was nothing, but then, _there was everything_. He felt he was burning, but it wasn’t painful, oh no. It was pure ecstasy, power feeling every bone, every vain in his body. He threw his head back and let out a laugh. He probably sounded crazy, but he found he couldn’t care less. Finally, _finally_ , he was complete.

Looking with a lazy smile at Mr. Ollivandar, he found the man staring back with such desperation. Harry liked people who were desperate, they did foolish things. Feeling delicate fingers intertwine with his own, he turned towards Amare. His friend, his companion in both magical and muggle world. Nothing would stop them.

Mr. Ollivander didn’t speak as he paid for the wand. In fact he didn’t even look at Harry.

They were just about to head out, Amare was already holding the door open, when the boy remembered something.

“Oh, and one last thing Mr. Ollivander”

“Hm?”

“You didn’t say what it’s made out of?”

He would never forget the shame and terror that crossed the old man’s face.

“Do no judge me, Mister Potter, I was young, foolish- do not hold it against me-“

He would promise no such thing.

Swallowing, he continued, whispering “B-Bone and human heart, thirteen inches.”

He smirked as Mr. Ollivander lowered his head in shame. ”It had been a pleasure, sir”

As the door closed behind him he heard a low whisper “Merlin save as all…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter!


	5. That’s The Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The train ride to Hogwarts.

Harry loved watching Amare practice ballet. 

There was something in her movement, in the way her hands lay so delicately, her feet so strong. 

And she was good. Really good. 

Her father forced her to pick it up at a very young age, saying that a girl of her statues should move accordingly. And she did. Of course she did. She had to, that’s what’s her father was like. Everything he demanded had to be done, and not even his own daughter could ran away from him. And it’s not that she didn’t love him. No, she did. He did everything for her, each command, each punishment- all for her. 

Harry could respect his devotion to power and success. Nothing could stop Mr. Ratcliffe, and people did try. Funny people, who could not see the bigger picture, who were blind to their own insignificance. 

And Harry did like watching Amare dance. Because behind every movement, and every spin there was a silent promise of caged power, taunting the viewer to come closer, but god help them all when it finally breaks free. 

* * *

“Did you finish packing?” 

“Just a second- “

“Harry!” Amare stormed into his room,” we are going to be late!” 

He looked at his watch “nah, we have thirty minutes spare” 

“But! We have to make a good impression- meet new children!” 

“And we will, now can you please help me I can’t find my Transfiguration book” 

The first of September was pure chaos. Well, as chaotic as Ratcliffe household allowed it to be. It mostly consisted of Amare speaking in a high voice and Harry forgetting were he put his belongings.

Over the past few weeks they studied nonstop everything available about the new world which was shown to them. They read about wizarding customs, how to interact with ‘purebloods’- as the book called those special few which were descants of old wizarding families, which houses were in Hogwarts and what they meant, and even different shopping centers around England. Amare urged Harry to read their textbooks, claiming they had to be prepared for anything the teachers might throw their way, but he knew better- Amare, deep down, was the biggest nerd he had ever had the pleaser of meeting, and her grades at school had to be perfect. During the two years they had gone to school together he found her more than once learning their textbooks by heart, and most of her free time was spent doing extra work.

Harry was shocked to discover himself in _‘Modern Magical History’_ , ‘ _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ ’ and even in _‘Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century’_. It was quite invidious how the wizarding community painted the night of Voldemort’s defeat, as if it had been the happies night in many years, as if a child had not been left orphaned. Reading about the Dark Lord’s views he disappointedly found them to be quite lacking. The notion that wizards like Amare or Harry were worse simply because they weren’t purebloods, was hilariously idiotic, and he wandered if many others thought the same. Never mind, he was going to show them different.

Packed and ready, they headed to the train station. Once again, they decided to make themselves as presentable as possible-Harry deciding to wear a fitted black suit with an emerald green dress shirt, while Amare chose a two piece dress in pale blue.

Getting to King’s Cross was easy enough. The driver put their trunks and backpacks onto a cart and wheeled it inside, but from there on they had to figure it out on their own. Theoretically Dumbledore had explained them how to get to platform nine and three- quarters, but in actuality running through a brick wall was less than appealing to both children. The thought of ‘ _what if we ran into the wrong wall_ ’ was clear and present in both their minds and Harry started looking around the station for more wizards.

Finally he spotted the pale boy from their trip to Diagon Alley, with his parents, who looked just as he had imagined two posh purebloods looking. He nodded Amare in their direction, silently asking her to pay attention. The family of three looked bored as usual when they walked straight through a brick wall and disappeared.

“What. Was. That.”

“Spoilers for what we are about to do” said Harry excitedly as he pushed their cart quickly.

Getting closer he saw a family of what looked like a herd of gingers standing and blocking the way.

“…Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first”

The plump woman watched as who looked like the oldest kid from the group, disappeared behind the brick wall, before nodding to another boy “Fred, you next”.

“I’m not Fred, I’m George,” said the tall and lanky boy, “Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can’t you tell I’m George?”

Harry smirked, amused.

“Sorry, George, dear”

“Only joking, I am Fred” and he, too, ran through the wall.

He could feel Amare getting impatient next to him, and just as he was about to say something to her, the youngest boy pointed his mother towards them.

“First time at Hogwarts dears? Need some help getting to the platform?”

She was kind and warm, and suddenly Harry was reminded of his mother. She would have led him to the station, and kissed him goodbye, and maybe he, too, would have been able to help some struggling first years. But she couldn’t. She was long gone. And Harry felt alone.

“N-“Amare started.

“Yes. “He felt her shock, but continued smiling at the woman in front of him. 

“Not to worry, all you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don’t stop and don’t be scared you’ll crash into it, that’s very important. Best do it at a bit of a run it you’re nervous. Go on, go now before Ron, he’s new too”

“Thank you”

“Thank you Madam”

Harry turned back to the wall and began heading forward, walking faster as he went. Just as he was about to smash right into the barrier, he smiled, and went right through it.

The platform was packed with wizards, and the massive train let steam which clouded the space. A sign overhead said _Hogwarts Express_ , eleven o’clock.

“Wow” Amare arrived next to him.

“Best be moving before Ron crashes into us”

Walking past the crowd, it was hard not to notice the looks they were getting. Two children, alone, dressed in the best money could buy. And what children at that- Unreachable, divine, like two statues.

They easily maneuvered past the families, cats and trunks laying around, the owls hooting one another. Harry was glad his owl, which he decided to name Hedwig, was well mannered and did not join the noise, that started giving him a headache. The first few carriages were already packed with students, hanging out to talk to their families, some were even crying, their parents desperately trying to calm them down. Once again Harry felt a sharp pain in his chest, looking at fathers kissing their kids, mothers giving one last hug to their daughters, the laughter and goodbyes filling the air. But looking at Amare, he, for the first time, thought that maybe he wasn’t the only one watching the scene longingly, Mr. Ratcliffe’s absence more present than ever.

They passed a round-faced boy who was saying,” Gran, l’ve lost my toad again”

“Oh, _Neville_ ,”

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

“Give us a look, Lee, go on”

Harry didn’t want to find out what was in the box.

Finally reaching an empty compartment down the end of the train, he easily lifted the two trunks inside, a silent thank you to the feather light charm put upon them. He was unnerved to think how heave they would be without it, since the two of them took more than necessary along. Amare got in, pulling their backpacks and Hedwig. 

“Finally” He exclaimed, grabbing his bag and pulling it open, taking out a small glass cage, with a tiny beautiful snake inside, “ _Hello, my friend_ ”

“ _Massster, are we on the train?_ ”

“ _Yes, now just like we practiced,_ “the snake slithered out of the cage and onto Harry’s wrist, wrapping itself around it a few times. To onlookers it would seem like a small blue bracelet, but both the kids knew better.

“Have you decided on a name yet?” asked Amare, not at all bothered.

“Yea, I think Loki’s a nice name, _don’t you think?”_ the last part was spoken to his wrist, were Loki stuck out his tongue.

Amare rolled her eyes, “You watch too much crap telly”

“Hey! Let me have my fun!”

Surrendering, she began feeding Hedwig. Harry actually had a lot to do, the last week he spent corresponding with the bank, learning about his different estates and political influence. Apparently, in the wizarding community there were Wizengamot seats which could influence the passage of laws, court hearings and general politics. Although it was all beneficial to Harry, who possessed many titles and thus many seats, he couldn’t help but be angry that muggleborns were deprived of ever getting close to actually influencing the community politically. Most of the seats were connected to pureblood families, and were passed from heir to heir. The more he learned about the inner workings of the ministry, the more he felt it needed change. With that in mind he begun building up the bases of his plans.

“What’s that?” Amare pointed at his papers.

“Investments,” he shrugged,” I figured more money couldn’t hurt, plus Griphook seems to think it will help me be known among the more elite groups”

She frowned, “Harry, I worry about you- you know, drowning in papers, dealing with politics.”

“What about it? You have been involved in your father’s business since you could talk”

“I just- I don’t want you to lose your childhood. I don’ want you to, you know, feel the way I do”

Harry sighed and looked at his friend with admiration, he understood where she was coming from, having a lonely childhood and too many worries for an eleven year old.

“Once we get to school, I promise-less politics, more regular classes”

“Liar” but she smiled nonetheless. 

The train began to move and the two friends fell into a comfortable silence, Amare was content staring at the moving buildings, the only noise was the movement of paper and occasional scribbling. Harry saw from the corner of his eye a boy who looked like Ron looking inside their carriage for a second, but once he noticed it was occupied, continued moving past them.

* * *

Around half past twelve a noise from outside alerted their attention, a smiling, dimpled woman slid back the door and said, “Anything off the cart, dears?”

“Yes, Madam,” said the girl and excitedly got closer to inspect the candy. The sweets were unlike anything she had ever seen- Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, “Harry look- Chocolate Frogs, it’s what I told you about, from that book-“

“Yea, maybe you could start a collection,” having gotten closer, he took a look. Before meeting Amare, he never had sweets, the orphanage was too poor to afford such things and on the streets the situation wasn’t much better. He remembered how Amare caught him looking at a piece of chocolate as if it were gold, afterwards she took care to always bring him the testiest and most extravagant desserts as possible.

“Let’s just buy two of each.” He said, smiling. Finally he could return the favor.

They dumped the candies on one of the seats and dove right in- the food from home forgotten in their bags.

“Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans… if I remember correctly each bean has a different flavor, but they can also taste like grass, toothpaste- gross stuff”

“Humm” Harry took one red colored bean, carefully inspecting it before taking a bite,”Eww- tastes just like chili”

Laughing, Amare picked a pink one”-oh gross” spitting it out, “sardine”

Harry decided for his own safety to try a different candy, but before he could, the door was slammed open revealing the small frame of a girl with bushy hair.

“Have you seen a toad? Neville’s lost one” She had a rather bossy voice, and she inspected the large amount of sweets with distaste.

“No.” Harry said, not liking the look at all.

“Well if you do see-“noticing Harry’s papers from Gringotts, her eyes opened wide,” -are you studying? Are you second years? Do you already know some spells? I have, of course, practiced some at home, and I’ve read all the textbooks, think it’s all rather fascinating- Nobody in my family’s magic at all, it was such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean it’s the best school, you probably know this- I am Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?”

It took Harry a moment to process she stopped talking, and two more to register she had asked them a question. Delicately he hid the papers from her inspecting eyes.

“We are first years” Amare muttered.

“Oh”

“I’m Harry Potter, and this is Amare Ratcliffe” his friend shot him a look, clearly not wanting to tell the girl her name.

Hermione’s eyes got comically round, “Are you really? I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books for background reading you see- And Ratcliffe, you said, as in, The Ratcliffe, why of course I heard all about you, on the news and-“

The two exchanged looks as she continued rambling.

“Hm” Harry cleared his throat, effectively stopping the fast paced speech, “You don’t have to tell us everything you know about us, you see, that’s the charm here- we already know everything.”

“Oh” she got impossibly red, “right”

“If we see a toad we’ll be sure to tell you”

“Right, thank you,”

Harry raised an eyebrow, looking at Hermione and then at the door.

“Oh” embarrassed she got up and left, the door closing behind her.

“Thank God,” he sighed, flopping back. He raised a hand and a chocolate frog flew into it.

“I am not even going to comment,” Amare said, even though she clearly wanted to.

* * *

The continued talking in low voices and eating, the outside view getting darker and darker until they could barely distinguish the trees .They decided to change into their uniform, excitement filling the air. Harry was petting gently Loki when he saw the door begin sliding, the pale boy he recognized from Diagon Alley standing on the other side. Not in the mood for talking he made a sliding motion with his hand, and the door closed one again. With amusement he watched it rattle slightly, as the unwanted visitors tried to open it with force.

“What?” He caught Amare’s accusing glance.

“We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes’ time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately” A voice echoed through the train.

“Ready?” She looked at Harry, determent.

“Ready.” He answered, getting up.

They both tucked their wands into their wand holsters, making sure to look as presentable as possible, before they walked out. People were pushing each other yelling hello’s to friends they hadn’t seen. It was dark and dump, the only light being a lamp, held by a very large man, with wild hair and a large trench coat. “Firs’ years! Firs’ over here!” he said, but his voice matched his size, and it sounded as though he was yelling.

He led them down a steep, narrow path, and Harry was trying not to stumble too much. Amare seemed as though it didn’t bother her at all, walking gracefully in front of him.

“Yeh’ll get yer firs’ sight o’ Hogwarts in a sec” The giant called out to the terrified first years.

And there it was- Magnificent, massive, its windows sparkling in the starry night, was the castle. Taking a deep breath, Harry felt the magic of it reaching him, surrounding him. _Well hello to you too_.

After a rather cold boat ride they were finally, _finally_ , in front of the castle doors. A very stern looking woman was already waiting, the giant addressed her as Professor McGonagall.

“What’d you recon she teaches?” Amare whispered to him, smirking, as they walked into the entrance hall. It was big and made out of stone, lit with flaming torches, magnificent marble staircase on the other end, leading to the upper floors. Harry felt as though they jumped back in time.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” said Professor McGonagall. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes, I suggest you all smarted yourselves up as much as you can.” And she left the chamber.

“Well.” Harry said raising his eyebrows.

“Yea, she really is something,” Noting how terrified everyone became-Granger whispering to herself, and a boy was desperately clinging to his toad.

“Student, follow me” signaled the return of the professor. They formed a line and entered the Great Hall. It was packed with students, all staring at the newcomers, judging who would go where. Caching a glimpse of the ceiling, Amare awed at the beauty of it all, but instead of staring up, like she wanted to, she looked straight ahead of her, her face blank from exasperation. She could feel her friend next to her, doing the same.

Stopping, they looked at an old dirty hat, which was placed upon a four legged stool. A few moments of silence passed, the first years shuffling uncomfortably, before a rip near the brim opened like a mouth, and the hat began to sing:

_"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
  
You might belong in ,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
  
You might belong in ,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Students clapped soundly as the hat finished its song.

“Don’t tell me we have to put it on” Amare whispered, disgusted.

Names were called and students began sitting on the stool, one by one. Some took long, and some only seconds. The poor boy with the toad, whose name was Neville Longbottom, was so excited to be sorted into Gryffindor, he actually ran to the house table with the hat still on. Hermione Granger was sorted into Gryffindor as well, to Amare’s big surprise, and the pale boy, who turned out to be Draco Malfoy, was sorted into Slytherin after less than a second. The further down the list McGonagall went, the more excited the students became, some of them even standing up, looking for someone. Harry smirked.

“Perks, Sally- Anne” was sorted into Hufflepuff, when finally:

“Potter, Harry”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Flare for the Dramatics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sorting and some lessons.

“Potter, Harry”

Harry stayed in his place for a second, letting the whispers dance around the tables. He caught some of them- “ _Potter_ , did she say?”, “ _The_ Harry Potter?”. Seemingly even the teachers were curious, scanning the crowd of first years, trying to catch a glimpse of him, their eyes missing him each time. He smirked and started to move forward, slowly, confidently. The whispers died out and the hall was cast into complete and utter silence, hundreds of eyes following his every breath. Glancing at the teachers, he saw confusion written all over their faces. Did they expect to see someone else? Someone who grew up starved and neglected? Who would look with wander at the Grand Hall and drink up each word they said? Harry locked eyes with Dumbledore, and grinned.

The last thing he had seen before professor McGonagall dropped the hat over his eyes, was the intense stare of Amare, as if saying ‘ _follow the plan’_.

He waited until a voice filled his mind like smoke- loud and quite at the same time, as far away from him as it was close.

**… _How unexpected…._**

_‘Well hello to you too’_

**_…It has been ages since I last saw a mind like yours… How very difficult…_ **

_‘You flatter me. I’m guessing you have already seen what I am planning’_

A second passed- **_…Yes…_**

_‘And will you help us? Will you put me where I have to be?’_

_**…But a different house would suit you more… Slytherin will help you achieve greatness…Oh yes… It will feed your ambitious… Don’t you want to be great?...**_

**** _‘Neither of the houses would make me great. But- am I right suspecting that you already knew that?’_

The voice chuckled, like burning cigarettes ** _\- …And to think he wanted to test you…_**

_‘Test me?’_

**_…Be careful Mr. Emrys … He has eyes all over the castle… even his own personal bat… he will follow your every step… you mustn’t trip…not even once…_ **

**** _‘Trust me, I am not planning to’_

**_…To trust you… would be like to trust the rope around your neck to save you… but alas… I fear many would make such a mistake…_ **

_‘Mmm. I’m afraid I must bid you farewell. You know what to do.’_

**_…Goodbye Mr. Emrys… and may we meet again…_ **

And Harry heard the hat shout to the whole hall one word- “GRYFFINDOR!”

His plan was set into motion, but he couldn’t resist sparing one last glance, his green eyes so bright, he could see their reflection in the small glasses adorning Dumbledore’s face. He in turn raised his goblet, toasting Harry’s sorting, probably satisfied he had passed his test. The old fool.

Harry walked towards the Gryffindor table, the cheers and yells of the students drowning out the next name called out. The ginger Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the twins- Fred and George- yelled, “We got Potter! We got Potter!”

He heard “Ratcliffe, Amare” being called out and quickly looked at his friend. As she walked forward, some whispers from the Slytherin table reached him- in quite voices they inquired if the Ratcliffe’s were a pureblood family, asking each other if someone recognized her. Harry smiled at that- Amare’s walk and looks could put even the most ancient of families to shame and it had been years since the last time the castle had seen such a beautiful child.

She sat on the stool for two…three…eight minutes, but Harry wasn’t worried. Their plan would work. It had to. 

The hat opened its mouth, Harry stopped breathing- “SLYTHERIN!”

Silence. No one clapped, not even the Slytherins. It was the first time in Hogwarts history that a muggleborn was sorted into the house of Salazar Slytherin. Harry allowed himself to lean back in satisfaction, before slowly clapping for his friend. Many of his house looked with shocked faces at his display, but it seemed to shake the Slytherins and they too began clapping politely. Amare sat down and looked at Harry, mirroring his smile.

The sorting finished with “Weasley, Ron” being sorted into Gryffindor, where he proceeded to sit next to Harry, cheerfully offering him a hand, and began to complain about the lack of food. Harry, who used to go days without eating, didn’t even notice.

Albus Dumbledore got to his feet, beaming at the students, arms opened wide.

“Welcome!” he said, “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!”

Harry was slightly amused- the man knew how to work a crowd that’s for sure. As the students clapped and cheered, food appeared on the golden dishes, and the hall was filled with loud chatter and moving plates.

The feast was a lovely affair all in all- Harry kept a close eye on Amare and saw the glances her housemates kept shooting at her. She ate silently, not bothered by the lack of company. He kept getting into conversations with random people and even ghosts. Nearly Headless Nick kept talking about the House Championship, even though deep down Harry thought that their house had about zero chances of winning it, especially when he saw a food fight beginning at the far end of the table.

The ginger Prefect, whose name was Percy, told Harry about the different teachers, but when he got to Professor Snape, Harry felt sharp hot pain across his scar. The look that the Professor shot his way could only be called hatred, and although he was used to getting such looks from adults, he was surprised to receive it from a wizard he had never met.

“And who is that, next to him?”

“Professor Quirrell, he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts- used to be the Muggle Studies Professor, but after he came back from his break he switched subjects.” Said Percy.

“Yea, Snape was probably over the moon” said an older student with a chuckle, “Everyone knows he wants the Defense position, wouldn’t be surprised if he slips some poison into poor Quirrell’s cup”

“Hmm” Harry looked at Quirrell, who looked as though one blow and he was finished. There was something strange about him, but he couldn’t put a finger on what that was.

“So Harry,” started Ron, mouth full of food,” Do you play Quidditch? Ma favorite team is the Chudley Cannons-“

“No reason for that,” interjected Seamus, “they haven’t won a game in ages!”

Ron ears took a red shade,” Yea, but they _nearly_ won last time, didn’t they”

“Actually I have never played Quidditch, nor have I seen a game” making a sad face, “in fact I didn’t know I was a wizard until a month ago,” he almost smiled at the shocked faces surrounding him.

“What’d you mean, you didn’ know?” Ron looked confused and outraged, “But you are _Harry Pott_ er!”

“Yea, I am still trying to figure it all out…”

“Don’ worry Arry’, I’ll help you” Ron said, determined, “I’ll show you everything you need to know”

“Thanks Ron, I appreciate it, really” he said, making the boys ears turn red a second time.

The food disappeared and Dumbledore got to his feet again, silence falling over the hall.

“Ahem -- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

" First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

" I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

" Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Now _that_ was some interesting information, and Harry swore the Headmaster looked at him when he said it. And anyway who says to a bunch of students that they could potentially die if they accidently entered the wrong corridor?

After singing the school song (the Weasley twins finished last, singing to a funeral march) the Prefects began leading the first years to the common rooms, the students moving slowly and chatting loudly, as the food in their stomachs clouded their minds. Ron, who was dragging his feet next to Harry, kept closing his eyes for longer periods of time each time. Harry looked around at all the portraits, noting how some of them stared at him, a few even pointed. They walked through hanging tapestries and hidden doors, climbed more staircases than he could count until finally they stopped in front of a huge portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

“Password?” she said.

“Caput Draconis” said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal the Gryffindor common room.

In Harry’s opinion the amount of red throughout the room was a bit much, but it did have a very cozy feel to it and a lot of squashy armchairs he could definitely fall asleep in. Not wasting time, the five boys walked up a spiral staircase and into their dorm rooms. Harry chose a bed next to a window, just across the door. As his peers fell asleep one by one, he got comfortable and took out his parents’ album. He spent many nights tracing their faces, watching them wave at him, smiling at each other. He tried to figure out their ages in each photograph and imagined a story to go along with it. Would they had taken him to that park? And if they were alive, would he had known all those people smiling around them?

He smiled at a photo of his father playing with a big black dog. He found himself regretting the procedure on his eyes more and more, since the glasses seemed to be the only thing he had in common with him.

Like always, he got to the end of the album, a sharp pain in his chest as he flipped through the empty pages, and he could only imagine the photos that would have filled them.

* * *

Harry was glad the Grand Hall was almost empty, since even the few students that managed to come to breakfast early stared at him. Spotting Amare, he sat next to her in the Slytherin table, now earning stares not only from students, but from teachers as well. 

“You do love to make a scene,” Amara said as she put more jam on her toast.

“What can I say, I have a flare for the dramatics” he shrugged, “anything interesting happen’ last night?”

“Well… not much- a few of the older students tried to intimidate me with blood purity crap but I had to leave and do my skin care routine. I am actually surprised that Parkinson girl didn’t murder me when I slept”

“Hmm,” he took a bite of his eggs,” I want to visit the Slytherin common room by the end of the week”

“And I want to be a belly dancer but alas” she looked sadly at her plate, “I can’t”

“Not with that attitude, you can’t” he said amused, “But the visit is actually important- it will show them that I am not just The Boy Who Lived, hopefully making them more inclined to, well, not hate me”

Unfortunately, just then Draco Malfoy walked in, followed by two boys, who looked like they were competing on who looks more of an idiot.

“Hey Potter!” he called out “Did You-Know-Who make you color blind?” he pointed at his own tie, “This is green” he pointed at Harry’s tie, “and this is red”

“Damn, and all this time I was confused by all the new students surrounding me” and he went back to eating.

“-Want more eggs?”

“Gladly”

“Hey Potter!” Malfoy called out again, “You can’t sit here!”

Harry narrowed his eyes, “And what are you going to do about it”

Malfoy got closer until he was standing just besides him, “Don’t test me, _Potter_ , maybe outside of school you can hide behind the adoring crowds, but here, the only ones who adore you are Longbottom and Weasel,”

“Daddy’s not here, who’s going to fight your fights?”

“Watch your-

“Is everything alright? Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter?”

“Splendid, professor,” said Harry with a smile, earning a smile back from professor McGonagall.

“I see you are already making friends from different houses, how wonderful”

Amare smiled shyly at Harry, “We were just taking about how excited we are to learn magic”

“Very well, I will leave you to that,” she took out a piece of parchment and handed it to Harry, “the time table, I expect you both to be on your best behavior”

“Thank you, professor”

“Oh and five point each- for school unity,” and she left towards the Gryffindor table. 

“What were you saying there, Malfoy?”

With one last look the three boys went away to sit next to their friends. Satisfied, Harry let out a chuckle.

“A great way to make them like you” Amare said disapprovingly.

“Well I never said I needed them _all_ to like me-oh come on, don’t give me that look!”

* * *

Turned out navigating the castle was harder than Harry and Amare anticipated. They got lost twice, and almost fell down the stairs numerous times, since apparently some steps fancy vanishing. Some doors opened only if asked politely and some doors weren’t even real, not to mention Peeves who tried to make their lives harder by grabbing their noses and screeching, “GOT YOUR CONK!”

Most classes were with the Slytherin’s and Harry couldn’t understand the math behind that, when it was clear the hatred between both houses ran deep. Ron wouldn’t speak to Harry for a few hours each time he chose to sit with the snakes, making Harry annoyed but relieved to receive a break from the constant chatter.

Harry’s excitement to start classes quickly vanished once he realized his reading during the summer covered all of the material, leaving him bored and annoyed at Ron who lacked any learning skills and refused to do any homework whatsoever. History of Magic was a joke but Harry found the time in class to be useful for any reading he had to do for Gringotts.

Herbology was great for meeting students from Hufflepuff and Professor Sprout knew what she was talking about. She showed them different plants and what they were useful for, making Harry start a mental plan of a garden at home. Or maybe even up at the dorms. He was sure Neville wouldn’t mind, the boy was just fascinated with plants.

Defense was definitely a lesson he was looking forward too but like many of his peers, was left disappointed. Quirrell was a mess and seemed to be afraid of his own shadow. Plus the classroom smelled like garlic. Harry started his favorite game of ‘ _Figure out was is wrong with Quirrell’_ which consisted mostly of staring and asking progressively weirder and weirder questions, which rewarded him with laughter from the Gryffindor’s and a kick from Amare.

The first lesson which required the use of a wand was Transfiguration- Professor McGonagall tasked the class with turning a match into a needle. Harry ignored the looks his wand received and attempted the spell, only to get the shock of his life. The spell worked all right, the match turned into a sharp needle, but something else happen as well. Harry turned to Amare to show her his work when he noticed a bright light coming out of her chest. With wide eyes he reached over trying to grab her attention, proceeding to see from the corner of his eyes another light source, coming from Ron. In fact, looking around, each student had one, all of them raging from light to grey, slightly pulsing with a soft drum like sound- like a heartbeat. 

“-rry are you alright?”

He dropped his wand, startled, and all the lights disappeared.

“I’m” he took a breath, “fine”

“You missed- Professor McGonagall awarded you with 10 points”

“Great- that’s great-“distracted he reached for his wand again, and once again when he touched it, the lights appeared _. Fantastic, just great_. His wand turned everyone into a flashlight.

It didn’t stop happening. Not in Charms, not in between classes, and not after he slept. Until Harry understood what was going on, he decided to use his wand as little as possible. Fortunately, or unfortunately, his next class had been double potions.

“Snape’s Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them” Ron said as they walked down to the dungeons. Entering the classroom Harry found it to be a bit much- though the picked animals floating in glass jars defiantly set the atmosphere. He sat next to Ron and Amare (Ron kept shooting her looks of hatred that she ignored) and waited for the arrival of the Professor.

Not even a second later he swooshed into the room, the door closing with a bang behind him. The first impression Harry received of seeing him up close was his resemblance to a bat. He began taking the roll call in his deep creepy voice until he paused.

“Ah, yes” he said softly, “Harry Potter. Our new- _celebrity_ ”

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “Present”

With a look of distain he moved on to the next name. Harry was not proud to say he hadn’t been listening to Snape’s speech, instead focusing on whether or not he wore eye contacts- There was no way one could achieve such black, empty eyes. Which was why he was surprised when he heard-

“Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

“You’ll get a sleeping potion- the Draught of Living Death” he smirked, “ _sir_ ”

“Let’s try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?”

Now Harry started smiling. He could see that that annoyed the Professor even more, but he had enough of adults using their power over him. He had power of his own now.

“The stomach of a goat. Or-“he lifted his palm and a rattle was heard from the ingredients cabinet, when suddenly a small amber stone flew into his hand “your classroom, _sir_ ”

He threw Snape off his game. He could see shock hidden carefully behind his empty eyes. But he could never hide from Harry. 

The class was silent, students stared at Harry with an open mouth, some even moved away.

“Anything else, _sir_?”

But they both knew there was nothing he could say.

The class worked in pairs on a simple potion to cure boils. Snape swept around, sneering at anyone who wore red and rewarded those who wore green. Unfortunately this attitude caused some of the Gryffindor’s to panic and forged ingredients, when finally, as he was telling the class about how perfect Malfoy’s stewed horned slugs were, Neville’s cauldron melted and began burning holes in the ground. The boy was quickly sent to the hospital wing but not before points from Gryffindor were taken. Snape turned to Harry, who was sitting next to Neville and Seamus, and it seemed like he was about to say something, but changed his mind. 

The lesson was finished and Harry smirked as he presented a perfect potion that was sure to get an Outstanding. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Slimy Green Snake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malfoy is quite annoying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I'm an essential worker and honestly have little to no time at all at home.  
> Anyways- Have fun!!!!!!!!!!

“I am telling you Dumbledore, he used **wandless** magic! **Summoned a bezoar with his hand**!”

“Now, now, Severus, calm down- lemon drop? - Are you certa-

“I SAW IT HAPPENING”

Panting, Snape stood in front of Albus, getting more and more annoyed by the second.

“Just **why** are you refusing to look into it?”

“My reasons are my own” Dumbledore said sternly, not losing the twinkle behind his glasses, “Are you starting to get concerned about the boy,” smiling, his eyes looking knowingly at Severus, “He has Lilly’s eyes-“

“About _him_?! He is arrogant, rude- just like his father. I am **concerned** , as you put it, with how he had come upon such knowledge!” His voice raising once again, “A first year, coming from the muggle world, knowing what a bezoar is, knowing how to summon it- A fourth year spell! So yes I am concerned- Even more so, by your lack of!”

Snape could have sworn the temperature dropped, masking his features and quickly calming down, he watched the headmaster thinking for a few moments. Not even with years of experience as a spy could he understand what thoughts were floating in that brain of his- what plans he was plotting. Was Harry the main player? Was he himself a pawn? Probably. But weren’t they all, in the end? Chess pieces in a game between two powerful wizards.

“I will need you to follow him,” Albus said thoughtfully, “The risk is too big, and we cannot lose him. Get closer to him, if you must, find everything there is to know.”

Snape’s mouth turned into a sneer. He would never get close to that boy. But to watch him- that he could do. 

* * *

In the future Harry would absolutely deny stooping as low as to fall into Malfoy’s taunts. But at that moment his pride was preoccupied with getting Neville’s stupid memory-something-ball.

It all started a week prier when, with great excitement, it was announced that the first flying lesson would occur- and of course the Gryffindor’s would be with the Slytherin’s.

“Are they trying to get us all killed or…?” murmured Harry, although looking at the gossiping Lavender and Parvati he could definitely see the appeal. Not for the first time, he wondered what games the headmaster was playing at- putting the two houses together

From his now permanent place next to Harry, Ron said- “Shouldn’t you be happy? You are the only one who can stand those slimy green snakes after all”. Harry hadn’t managed to change his mind about the different houses, not even with Amare, who kept hanging around them. The Slytherin’s themselves were partially to blame. There wasn’t a more annoying boy than Draco Malfoy. He had the tendency to insult Ron’s family and laugh about whatever Harry was doing- and Harry, who was used to much worse, didn’t pay attention, but Ron on the other hand, turned bright red and insulted back. 

“I will pretend not to hear the venom in your voice and correct your statement- I can stand only one slimy green snake”

“Oh God, I will be making a fool of myself in front of Malfoy, Gran never allowed me on a broom- said it might not go up for me” sadly stated Neville . The poor boy. Secretly Harry wondered if such a thing could really occur- and if it did, Neville would certainly be a good contestant. He would never voice such thoughts out loud, of course, since the boy was the only one to stand behind Harry’s decision to start a garden near the window at the dormitories.

“You don’t know that you’ll make a fool of yourself” said Ron uncertainly.” Anyway, I know Malfoy‘s always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that’s all talk.”

But was it all talk? Harry couldn’t care less. He had enough problems to think about without obsessing over blond snobs. One thing yet to be solved was the matter of his wand. After reading a book from the library, which was certainly for a higher level than that of his own, Harry got to one simple conclusion. The shining lights coming from each individual were their magical cores. The reason why most had white to gray cores was probably due to age- it wasn’t yet “tainted” with dark arts.

It didn’t explain his own. No book described a blood red core. 

* * *

It was the way he noticed the lack of mail Harry got, and the way he opened his own with such enthusiasm as they locked eyes, a smug smile always permanent.

It was the way he would look at Neville as he failed to make a decent potion, whispering cruel remarks behind his back.

It was the way he would joke about Ron’s old robes, books and family- As if he wasn’t just lucky to be born into a wealthy family.

He got underneath Harry’s skin and taking Neville’s gift as he was being led to the infirmary was just too much.

“Give it to me” Harry said, hand outstretched towards Malfoy, the wind gently swaying his black locks as he hovered high in the air.

“Or what?”

Harry smirked. He could do so much. He could knock him off his broom. Or do something worse. Much worse.

“You don’t see me as a threat, and you shouldn’t. You are, after all, too _insignificant_ for me. Too _small._ Too _weak_. **But** ,” Malfoy’s broom began to shake, just a little” you annoy me. And you annoy my friends. So next time you say something rude, or step out of line _,_ ” the rememberall flew into Harry palm, the blond’s eyes widened,” I won’t go after _you_. I will go after your pathetic _friends_ and entitled _family_.”

He happily left the git in the air, and felt no regret when, a few minutes after his own landing, Madam Hooch ran back into the grounds and started screaming bloody murder. Malfoys face, when he landed, was just a shade darker than Ron’s hair-but being led towards the castle, he gave Harry one last look- and Harry could’ve swore he saw fear.

“He makes my blood boil”

“I know”

“I _hate_ him”

“I know”

“He is so- so- _annoying_ ”

They were enjoying a quiet afternoon in the Library, the little specs of dust dancing in the thin lines of sunshine poking through the large windows. Carefully hidden between two large bookcases, Harry, in soft tones, told Amare about his wand, but quickly started to complain about Malfoy. The girl, in turn, opened an old book, answering absentmindedly and refusing to feed his anger.

“I don’t understand why-

“Why he bugs you so much?” she loudly shut her book,” isn’t it _obvious_ Harry?”

Rolling her eyes at his raised eyebrow she continued-“He _annoys_ you because he has everything available to him in order to become a great wizard, yet chooses not to, preferring to brag instead. He _annoys_ you because his childhood, unlike your own, was easy, and he takes everything he has for granted. And most importantly you are annoyed that he annoys you, since it’s a constant reminder that you are still a child- easily angered by a school bully.”

Harry blankly stared at the sun, moving his hand through the dust specs watching them scatter.

“You are right, of course”

“You are my brother- I know you” smiling, she took his hand” Which is why I also know that you are a great wizard, no matter how old you are.”

Harry sighed and smiled gratefully at his friend, it really _was_ a nice afternoon.

“You’ve gotten any letters from home?” He carefully asked, knowing what kind of a man her father was.

“Ah! I completely forgot!” jumping, she snatched her bag, furiously searching for something- “I did get a letter-it’s rightttt –here”

A small package, carefully wrapped, was presented to Harry. 

“Wah, that’s…”

“Beautiful- isn’t?”

And it was. Inside was a Rolex watch, with a ruby lion engraved behind the delicate clock hands. It must have cost a fortune.

“Look I also got one- a snake” hers had an emerald snake.

“Your father sure does know how to give presents”

“That he does”

He hadn’t managed to visit the Slytherin common room yet- a fact that bothered him to no end. He saw the students slipping away beneath Malfoy’s taunts at Gryffindor, Harry and Amare. Would he be able to influence them to trust _him_? The supposed “golden boy” and light savior?

Amare didn’t speak about it a lot but Harry saw the treatment of her peers bothered her. She was practically an outcast in her own house and her relationship with the lions didn’t help. Of course she was too proud to admit, but she wanted to feel welcomed, if only once. She hadn’t yet grasped the pureblood rituals and traditions which were so important to the heirs surrounding her, plus the lack of general information about them in Hogwarts was frankly concerning. But she did smile brightly when little Loki hissed pleasantries in her ear during breaks, and when she excitedly dragged him to the grounds- just outside the Forbidden forest- to look at plants for her potions, Harry couldn’t help but see her as a beaming light in this dark problem.

* * *

After learning that Harry was the one to go after Malfoy, Neville started talking to the boy much more. Harry didn’t mind, plus it set the garden plan to motion. They spent Saturday morning in the empty dorm room, excitedly throwing different ideas, the small fire flickering happily as though excited with them. Convincing him to sneak into the greenhouse and steal plant seeds took some time, but after lunch they both hopped with mischief in their steps towards their target.

What Harry didn’t anticipate was someone else forming the exact same plan. 

“And what are you two fine gentlemen doing here at such a nice hour of the day?”

“We could ask you two fine gentlemen the same question”

“Have you heard Fred? We are fine gentlemen”

“Mom would be so proud”

“Are you going to-o-o tell someone we-e-“

“And to stop such nice mischief from accruing?”

“No I don’t think so George”

“Glad we are on the same page Fred”

Harry gave the twins a calculated look. They were unpredictable, loud and got into trouble daily, but they had something he wanted.

“You could snitch to a teacher about us…”he slowly said,” and I could in turn say that I was just following my older peers, as they showed me around the grounds. Imagine my surprise when they led my into the greenhouses and even-“putting on a shocked face” asked me to steal something for them”

The twins shared a look and smirk. “But we wouldn’t want that? Wouldn’t we?”

“No no no. We will make you a deal”

“A deal?”

“You want something from us, we aren’t dumb, right Forg?”

“Right Gred. And we want something from you.”

Nodding curiously he watched them. People really didn’t give them enough credit.

“you summoned a bezoar in Snapy’s class-

“without a wand-

“and without a spell-

“and we want to know-

“how”

That he could do. Harry didn’t know what amused him more- the twins little speech or Neville’s shocked face.

“If you were caught each time you did a prank, you’d have already been on your way home” Harry stated,” that’s my part of the deal- I want to know how. How do you sneak around? How do you stay invisible?”

“Deal”

Slowly they walked up to the castle, with pockets full of unfamiliar and useful seeds. Neville had been rather quite after the strange exchange with the two redheads, which allowed Harry’s mind to wander. It was the beginning of October and the first month at Hogwarts was rather interesting, but not in any way he could have predicted. The lessons were below his level and no peer challenged him magically, plus the strange way Professor Snape’s eyes followed his every breath put him in slight unease. But on the other hand, his wand and power preoccupied most of his time. The fact he was one of the few select in the world who could perform wandless magic as if it were nothing was quite the revelation and really made him question the ease with which he shared his power to the world. It would do no good for authorities to start looking into his life, and one set of eyes on him was more than enough.

But as he kept walking calmly he couldn’t shake the slight weight on his back, even though as he looked around, they were completely alone in the peaceful afternoon.

* * *

“Sneaking around, making deals, using wandless magic … Just what are you up to, Harry Potter, what are you hiding?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter- I will probably start doing larger time skips in the future.


	8. Mind Your Own Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is here.

The month of October was by far the fastest month to pass by Harry. He didn’t know if it had been because of the enormous amount of studying done in the library or the constant chatter with his peers, as each of them tried grabbing his attention. He was proud to admit that his knowledge of wizarding traditions was coming along nicely, which worked for Amare’s benefit as well, since she had made her first Slytherin friend- a boy named Blaise Zabini.

Zabini was proving to be a well-mannered, sarcastic (if slightly strict) boy, who overall could keep up with both Harry and Amare. He too came from a wealthy family and could understand and bond over his and Amare’s shared experiences. Harry liked him, plus his mother’s story was quite the shocker. She had no less than _eight_ husbands, all who died due to “mysteries” circumstances. 

Draco didn’t try his luck with Harry again and from the gossip Zabini overheard in the common room, the blond git wrote his father about the incident. What he expected to gain from that, neither of the group knew, but Lord Malfoy was now made aware of Harry’s abilities- a fact that both worried and delighted Amare.

As the duo sat at Potions, Harry whispered to Amare.

“You should visit the Gryffindor common room”

“Why?” She murmured back, carefully cutting a snail.

“Why not- okay I know why not- but the garden is coming along nicely,” he could see her starting to protest “and really Ron is not _that_ bad…”

“ **Not that bad!-** “

“ **Shh**!”

“ _Not that bad_? He has the temper of a fire crab and the capabilities of a dead fish, and yet each time I come nearby he talks to me as though I’m less then dirt.”

“That is true” Blaise said from his cauldron, a slight smirk on his lips.

“Did your mother never teach you to _mind your own business_?”

Faking hurt, he responded,” Ouch Potter, my heart can’t handle such talk” 

“Good.”

“Really Harry, I have no idea why you keep him around,” she added some powder to the now boiling potion. The mixture was turning bluer by the second.

“His family is close to Dumbledore- you know that,” leaning towards the cauldron he lowered his voice,” even though he isn’t the Weasley I’m interested in.” 

Amare rolled her eyes,” The twi-“

“No, not them!”

“Exactly how many brothers does he have?”

Chuckling, he quickly mixed the potion. Seven times clockwise.

“He was telling me about his oldest brother –Bill,” Five times counterclockwise.

“And what’s so special about him?” four times clockwise.

“He works with Gringotts -a curse breaker,” the potion turned pink,” and I think he will become useful to me.”

After he got the last report from the bank he noticed one peculiar estate located in Wales, which, according to the report, had so much magic blocking its entrances no one could get ten miles near it. No one puts so much effort into protecting something unless there is something worth hiding inside. And Harry most definitely craved that something. 

“Hand in your work” Snape’s voice slithered around the class,” and I hope, _this time_ , none of you will receive a T.”

The look Harry received as he handed in the perfect potion could only be called hatred, “Problem, Professor?”

“ _Get out_. “He was impressed by the way Snape didn’t even have to divide his teeth in order to say that. The greasy Professor continued proving he had the emotional capabilities of a five year old, not that Harry cared too much. Although he was convinced Snape’s gaze lingered on him almost every minute outside the dorms.

“We best head to the library,” Amare stated, her expensive uniform standing out in the crowd, “I read about a potion called ‘Draught of peace’ and I want to write down the ingredients-“

“It’s your fault the potion failed!”

“MY FAULT? **You forgot to mix it**!” They quickly turned towards the noise, finding Ron and Granger in the middle of a fight as a herd of students watched.

“You are supposed to be the know-it-all!”

“ **Watch yourself Ronald**!” Hermione shrieked. 

“You’re such **a** **nightmare**!” Harry knew he was about to cross a line,” It’s no wonder **no one can stand you**!”

The girl burst into tears and ran away, her shoes hitting the stones was the only sound echoing throughout the hallway. 

“You said enough Ron” Harry said, his tone cold and stare hard.

“I said what everyone else was thinking,” said Ron, his face red from embarrassment,” She must’ve noticed she’s got no friends.”

Harry hated admitting it, but Ron was right. Hermione had no friends. She was rude and tended to lecture students, making a good impression of Professor McGonagall. But even then she didn’t deserve to be yelled at like that.

She didn’t turn up for any of their classes that day. And she wasn’t at the common room afterwards. Harry overheard Parvati saying Hermione was crying in the girl’s bathroom and hoped Ron felt a little bit of shame. But by the looks of it, all thoughts about the incident had been forgotten the moment they stepped into the Great Hall and saw the Halloween decorations. After a moment of hesitation Harry chose to go sit with Amare at the Slytherin table, if only to avoid Ron.

“This is nothing compared to what my family does each year,” Malfoy bragged down the table,” Father always says…”

“I wonder if he ever gets tired of saying what his family does,” sneered Zabini from his place across Amare, “no one cares.”

“Well… by the looks of it Parkinson cares,” she said unimpressed, watching the girl make heart eyes at Malfoy.

“Parkinson cares about money and her family name.” Blaise stated as he put more baked potatoes on his plate.

“Huh? Why? Aren’t they rich on their own?” Harry asked.

“They were, once. Not after the war though. At least my mother had the brains to remain neutral.”

“Then why doesn’t she drape herself over you? You are much more handsome.” Said Amare nonchalantly making the boy laugh. He _was_ handsome with his dark skin and hazel eyes, his signature buzz cut complimenting his sharp jaw. 

“Why do you care?” said Harry annoyed.

Amare gave him a strange look. He didn’t have time to ponder over it because just then Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face.

“TROLL- IN THE DUNGEONS- thought you ought to know.” And proceeded to faint. 

It took Dumbledore five minutes to calm down the absolute mess the students had become. “Prefects, lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!”

“Harry!” whispered Amare urgently, “Hermione! She doesn’t know about the troll!” 

It took him a couple of minutes to process what she said, “Since when do you care!?”

“Since I started hating Ron more than her.”

“Oh, fine!” he huffed,” Let’s go princess.”

They waited until enough students walked through the door before joining the masses, securing their ability to sneak away unnoticed.

“The girl’s bathroom, the girl’s bathroom-, “Harry murmured to himself, trying to remember where it was located as they ran through the many hallways of the castle.

“There!” Amare pointed, but stopped suddenly as she heard a scream coming from inside of it.

Harry wasted no time and sprinted into the bathroom hoping the troll hadn’t gotten to Hermione yet. A wave of revolting smell hit him the moment the door opened. From what he could see, Granger hid in one of the stalls probably terrified to death. The troll itself broke the sinks one by one as he advanced towards her.

“What are we going to do?!”Panicked Amare. And what could they do? It was giant, with thick skin and no brains. “We have to think of a plan-

“HEY YOU THERE!” Harry yelled, waving his arms. 

“What tHE FUCK HARRY”

“Get Hermione and get out of here,” he said breathlessly,” I think I have something”

“ARE YOU CRAZY?” but she ran towards the stall from where Hermione began emerging slowly. The troll was already making his heavy steps in Harry’s direction. Harry quickly scanned the room until his eyes landed on his target –a sharp fracture from one of the sinks. Carefully keeping his eyes on the danger he raised his hand and willed the fracture to him. The troll didn’t even notice the sharp object spinning faster and faster above the boy’s hand until it was flaying full force at it. The splinter planted itself through the monster’s eye and into its tiny brain. 

With a final grunt the troll fell to the floor –defeated.

“Come on we have to get out of here.” Harry murmured to the girls, pulling Hermione from where she was shaking on the floor.

“Harry… _Harry_ …” Amare whispered, concern and shock in her eyes. The only answer she got was a glance saying ‘ _drop it’_.

The trio ran away quickly, Hermione held up by the two of them. No one spoke until they reached the Grand Staircase. Amare turned to leave towards the dungeons but Hermione grabbed her hand.

“Thank you” the sincerity of her voice made the beautiful girl pause, and give a sharp nod in return. 

The silence and tension remained until they reached the common room. It was packed with students eating loudly the food that had been sent up. Awkwardly she whispered a quick ‘Thanks’ and hurried away. For the first time Harry wondered if Hermione feared him. She had a damn good reason. He watched at night as Ron slept on soundly, unaware he had caused one girl trauma that would most likely haunt her in the future. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!   
> It's slightly shorter but I wanted to write the whole Hermione fiasco as it's own thing.


	9. You Can’t Ask the Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas, goblins and wands.

The students continued discussing the mysterious defeat of the troll as November rolled around. Harry was quite amused hearing some of the wilder theories. His personal favorite- Snape transformed into a troll and battled the first one to the death. From the gossip he overheard one of the prefects whispering, none of the teachers knew what happened, a fact that concerned even Dumbledore. Let the old man be concerned, it was good for his ego. 

The only two students to keep out of dissociations where, unsurprisingly, Hermione and Amare. Hermione spent most of her days glancing at Harry, which became quite bothersome very quickly. He tried speaking to her on many occasions, especially when they both occupied the library, but he usually got a small squeak in return.

Amare on the other hand was acting strange. She avoided Harry during launces at the Great Hall and walked to classes together with Blaise. In fact she did everything with Blaise, which made Harry feel… _something_. He didn’t know what but he knew he disliked it. Each time they spoke it was brief and her eyes where filled with some sort of emotion. _Sadness_ , his mind supplied quite unhelpfully.

 _But why_? He pondered over the matter as he sat at the Gryffindor table next to Neville. He slowly ate his eggs as he watched distractedly Amare and Blaise laughing. She looked so happy. Her beauty glowed in the grayish light of the upcoming winter.

“…arry?”

“Uh?” he missed Neville’s question.

“Who do you think will win?” he asked again kindly. Neville was a nice boy, with a good heart. After Harry fought with Ron the morning after the troll incident he made a decision to stick with Neville, for the mean time at least. Talk of the fight was only second to gossips of the troll-Coming to the Great Hall, Harry heard Ron trash talking Hermione once again, but this time the dark haired boy had had enough- _‘You don’t deserve to talk to anybody like that’ ‘You need to humble yourself quickly before life does it for you_ ’ ‘ _You achieved nothing yet, and you insult those who try and help you’ ‘You are no better than Malfoy, your prejudice is just aimed at a different group’_. They weren’t on speaking terms as of yet and Harry wasn’t pushing for it.

“Win where?” he asked halfheartedly. 

“Wher- the Quidditch match of course!” Neville exclaimed, disbelieve on his face, “Gryffindor against Slythrien?”

“When is it?” A plan was starting to form in Harry’s mind.

“Um next week?” _Perfect_.

On Saturday morning, as the body of students and teachers moved as one to the Quidditch pitch, Harry grabbed Neville-“I will meet you there, okay?”

“You sure mate?” but he was dragged away as well. Truthfully Harry had no intention of going to the game. The now empty castle held more appeal- Specifically a certain corridor on the third floor. He wasn’t dumb, of course he knew Dumbledore wanted him to go there. He wouldn’t have talked about it otherwise. But curiosity was getting the better out of him.

Sneaking into the suspiciously empty corridor proved to be easier than expected. Armed with his wand and brains he stood in front of the dark wood door. Touching it, he focused on his want for it to open, smiling as he felt it move and creak beneath his hand.

_“Are you ready, Loki?”_ He hissed to his little blue snake.

“ _Of course, Masssster_ ”

What he expected to see there he didn’t know, but this was surely not it. The room was dimly lit and dusty which was unsurprising. The huge three headed dog laying in the middle however was a different story. It took him precisely one second to decide he wanted to live and run out. No matter his abilities a monster that size was too much for him. There had to be a way to get past it! 

With that on his mind he went to research the matter in the library, only stopping once he heard a small cough signaling the presence of Hermione. She stood beside his table, the sun hitting her curls and making her eyes look like honey.

“Is the game over?” he asked, sensing her awkwardness.

Shuffling from one foot to the other, she replied, “Yes, uh- Slytherin won.” Her eyes scanned the book he was reading-‘ _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’_ , “You need help?”

“No,” he made sure to soften his voice, “But your company would be more than welcomed.”

For the first time since he met her, she gave him a genuine smile. Sitting next to him, she opened her own book, “Well, I was just reading a book about dragons- can you believe they exist?- and really, such fascinating creatures…”

Listening distantly to her chatter Harry began thinking. Yes the dog was interesting, but what was it hiding? What was Dumbledore hiding?

It felt like winter came overnight-the castle woke up covered in snow. It seemed like the only students unhappy with the change were Harry and Neville who watched their tiny garden struggle to get the last rays of sunshine.

“I think Neville,” said Harry awkwardly, “we might have to start over.” 

“Umm- maybe?” he desperately touched the sad leaves of his favorite plant. Harry felt bad for the boy- he saw each plant as family.

The last days of school before Christmas were spent merrily. Hagrid was seen dragging huge oak trees into the Great Hall and the professors were decorating each hallway with red hats and little snowflakes. At one point Harry gave up on the school uniform altogether since it did nothing to protect him from the cold between classes. He had seen Malfoy and his goons eyeing his clothes with jealousy. _Good_. They weren’t the only one to look at him like that though- he had caught Amare giving him and Hermione the same look. He really did hope Christmas together would soften her.

Being distant from Amare was starting to sadden Harry, which in turn made him more prone to lash out at annoying Gryffindors. The only thing that gave him immeasurable joy was a letter from Gringgots, the day before the holidays.

**_Dear Mister Potter Black Slytherin Gryffindor Peverell Emrys_ ** _,_

_Your presence is required most urgently, as we believe to have found evidence in support to our claims of your godfather’s innocence._

_In addition, a meeting with our finest curse breaker has been arranged- the day after Yule._

_I shall not elaborate more, in case this letter falls to the wrong hands,_

_May your gold flow,_

**Griphook**

* * *

“Are you going to continue ignoring me?” asked Harry with an edge to his tone.

“I will keep ignoring you as long as you continue keeping secrets from me.” Amare answer coldly, her eyes betraying her true emotions.

“I don’t keep anything from you! I trusted you with my past, with my present and most definitely with my future!” desperation and anger kept fighting for control in his heart. They didn’t ride the train together. They set silently in the back seat of the limousine on their way home. Harry couldn’t take it anymore- Amare was being ridicules for no reason. Cornering her in her room, he intended to get some answers.

“No you didn’t! You didn’t trust me with your past!” her eyes turned glossy, “You killed the troll and didn’t even flinch! You can go days forgetting to eat! You-you, you are clinical, and-and you look at your mates as though they are children! Is this how you look at me? Am I just someone you will grow bored of?”

“Wh- Have could you say that! I will never grow bored of you, you are my sister- my best friend!” Amare was never insecure, never. And there she was, fear rooted deep in her heart. _How did it get to this_? 

“Then tell me the whole truth- tell me what happened to you. I found you on the streets with wild eyes and torn clothes. You told me about the orphanage, but that can’t be the only bad thing to happen to you. What are you hiding from me?”

“I… I can’t tell you.” _You would leave me_.

“Right.”

Breathing hard, they both stared at each other- a sense of finality in the air. Slowly Harry turned around and walked out, a single tear escaping his pretty eyes.

He strolled the garden grounds aimlessly. Not for the first time he wished to be a normal kid, with a normal childhood. The snow melted beneath his frustration and the snowflakes avoided him. Some would say the winter season fitted him most. His dark hair moved slightly with the winds, his marble face as though a statue, his glowing green eyes reflecting in the white snow. The cold and unmoving weather a reflection of his blank stare. But Harry knew better. Winter was his opposite- it was family time, it was warmth from the fireplace, it was joy and presents and snow days. Things he never had.

“I’m sorry.” Amare set beside him in the snow. He hummed in response, eyes set to the setting sun. “I shouldn’t have pushed you like that, if you don’t want to share it’s fi-

“I was a horrible person Amare. I hurt people.” The sun painted the sky in purple. 

“You were a child…”she whispered, her eyes never leaving his profile.

“I was never given the luxury of being one. I grew up in a war zone of starving, _lonely_ children. And when I finally escaped- the streets weren’t better. At least the orphanage protected us from _people_ ,” he bitterly spat, “the people were the worst. There was this one men who just loved children,”

“Harry…”

“And one day he saw me. But I never let him -He was the first one I killed,” the tears fell without a warning, “He was a bad men, but was I any better?”

“Oh Harry” and she hugged him, her warmth covering his scars, “You were a child who was forced to grow up too quickly. You are amazing and I promise you- that man deserved worse”.

“I just don’t want to lose you, you know? You are my only family.” He mumbled into her coat.

“And you won’t. You are mine Harry, as I am yours.” 

* * *

The party was full of glamor and wow and everything Harry couldn’t care less about. While he did miss his room and the comforts of the manor, he found himself longing to go back to Hogwarts. Amare was happy to spend some time with her father, even if they were only stolen moments.

Moving gracefully through the ballroom he watched carefully as politicians closed deals, business man exchanged information and men eyed women who were most definitely taken.

“Enjoying yourself?”

“Always.” Harry looked as Mr. Ratcliffe stood beside him. He always did wonder how a man like that managed to have an heir like Amare. There were no similarities whatsoever between the square, rough looking man and the delicate, blue eyed girl. 

“Calculated as ever I see.” He gave a short laugh, “Not even boarding school could change that.”

“Not that particular school, no” the boy took a sip of wine he managed to steal minutes ago.

“If only the men in this room were half as much as you.” His watchful eyes looked as couples danced and servants moved about. Harry quickly gave a glance, surprised.

“Why the sentiment, Mr. Ratcliffe?”

“I want to make a business deal with you,” he turned towards Harry, “Watch over my daughter, keep her from harm. After her mother’s death I tried my best, but I’m too busy- too far gone.”

“She loves you.”

“I know,” he sadly said,” Keep your end of the deal Harry, I can’t risk losing her.”

“I will, but what’s your end of the deal? What do I get?” he asked curiously. Mr. Ratcliffe smiled, but it was clear his mind had already traveled far away, into memories long forgotten. 

“The thing you will want most, and I will miss most- my daughter.”

* * *

“Welcome back, Mister Potter.” Said Griphook, his sharp teeth illuminated by the light. The office was full of gold decorations and old books, lists upon lists of client’s information.

“Pleasure,” he answered, face void of any emotion. No reason bringing familiarity into business.

“Straight to the point then,” the goblin said,” We have come to believe Mister Black was unable to betray your parents. After our investigators _questioned_ , “Harry had a feeling they used illegal means but found he couldn’t care less,” some of the older members of the Order of The Phoenix, it was reviled that a Fidelius charm was used to hide your parents, but Mister Black was not chosen to be the secret keeper.”

“You’ll have to explain what you just said- The Order of The Phoenix? Fidelius charm? How does it prove anything?” Harry hated not understanding.

“The order was established during the war by Albus Dumbledore as an opposition to The Dark Lord. According to our records your parents and Mister Black were a part of it.”

“Why would a bank contain such records?” frowning he asked. Griphook looked slightly offended.

“Money is money Mister Potter. It is the beginning of all and the ending. Whoever holds the money holds the power. Transactions, shared vaults- we have information considering even the most powerful wizards.”

“I never meant any disrespect- simple curiosity and lack of knowledge.” He bowed his head.

“Make sure to fix it if you intend on dwelling into such matters,” the goblin stated, “Now, back to business- The Fidelius charm. It is an extremely difficult, multifaceted and potent charm that can be used to conceal a secret inside an individual's soul; the witch or wizard who houses the secret is known as the Secret Keeper. A dwelling whose location has been protected by this spell is then invisible, intangible, unplottable and soundproof. This is an extremely old spell, one of the most ancient of all.

Sirius Black was thought to be the secret keeper, thus the betrayer. But with the available information we can conclude it was actually Peter Pettigrew.”

“Useful as it is, Sirius is in prison because he murdered thirteen muggles. How does it help his case.” He asked careful to not disrespect the goblin once more.

“You are correct, it doesn’t. But it will get him a trial, one he was deprived of ten years ago.”

_Never had a trail_. _How is that possible_? Harry had the faint feeling Dumbledore was behind it all.

“Fantastic. When can it be arranged?” He clapped his hands once.

“By the end of the year, if I’m correct in my calculations.” Griphook’s grin was menacing. The golden walls as though a halo around his head.

“One more thing before we head out to meet the curse breaker,” Harry asked, already getting up,” Dumbledore is hiding something in the castle- do you happen to know what?” 

Griphook gave a small growl at the mention, clearly unimpressed with the old wizard’s distrust of the bank.

“I can’t share my client’s secrets with you,” he slowly said, his face taking on an ugly sneer, “But I can say this- He is a fool to hide it in Hogwarts. A treasure of unimaginable power once belonging to Nicolas Flamel, I am sure you are smart enough to figure it out.”

The name tickled his mind _. Nicolas Flamel._ He knew him, from somewhere, somehow. But even so, why hide such treasure in a school? Albus Dumbledore was a mystery far more challenging than he first thought. Plus his choice in teachers was horrible really. Snape with his constant pettiness and lack of teaching skills- not to mention his black as night magical core. Quirrell who was just a _mess_. A defense against the dark arts class and he still hadn’t used a wand at all. Never mind that, he had a curse breaker to meet after all.

Bill Weasley was everything Ron wasn’t. He was confident, quietly imposing, long hair and earing and all. And he was handsome. _Really_ handsome. Harry tried ignoring that voice in the back of his mind as they went over the introductions. Turned out his voice was smooth and kind. It was all very confusing if he was honest with himself.

Apparently Bill was in the middle of a project in Egypt ( _explained his golden tan_ – not that Harry noticed) which involved some hard work in different Pyramids. Harry looked over his record before hand, and it was quite obvious the man knew what he was doing. They laid out a simple plan of work on how to approach the estate. Harry didn’t want anyone stepping in, just loosen up the more deadly curses would do. He asked Bill to teach him some basic runes and wards so he’ll know what to do once inside. They agreed to talk it out over owl during the year.

Satisfied he went outside to the snow covered Diagon Alley. He breathed in the cold air, the ice spreading in his lungs. There were no people walking about- probably too cold for that. He was never bothered by it, a small blessing during the winter on the streets. He wondered if he should have told Amare about that little trip of his, but some things he wanted to keep to himself. His godfather was one of them. For now at least.

He stood outside the shabby wand shop, thinking. Without even noticing his hand wrapped itself around his wand, luckily no one was around to distract him with their core. The light from the shops nearby painted his face gold, his pretty eyes as though a curse in motion. Without so much as a sound he entered the shop.

He remembered his first time here, the feeling of hopelessness as he tried wand after wand, the happiness as he had found the one that completed him. A couple months past and he had questions- ones Ollivander would answer, whether he wanted or not.

“Mister Potter, what a pleasure.” The voice of the man himself carried from the back of the dim shop.

“I wish I could say the same, but alas, I need something from you Ollivander.” He walked slowly and sat on the only chair in the room, his legs crossed and wand dangling dangerously from his hand. He didn’t _look_ eleven. He was tall and beautiful and powerful with eyes which saw empires built and fall.

“And what would that be?” the old man asked, watching the white wand warily. He stopped behind the counter, not daring to come closer. Harry knew the man feared not his power but his knowledge- of the wand, of what Ollivander had done.

“This wand,” he lifted it, four pair of eyes following its movement,” It’s not a regular wand. You said you were young when you made it. I want to know what you did to turn it into whatever this is. How does it work? Why did it choose me, of all people?”

“Oh Mister Potter, trust me when I say- I did not make that wand-” he pointed a shaky finger at it.

“What? But you told me-“Harry set up with an edge to his voice.

“That I was young and foolish-yes, I indeed was. But I wasn’t cruel, I would never- _never_ \- murder anyone!” His eyes searched for belief, for forgiveness. But Harry wasn’t there to calm an old man, he was there because he had an itch he needed removed.

“Then how did you come across it?”

“I read about it.” his voice was barely a whisper, eyes unseeing as he walked through his own memories,” A wand so powerful, so dangerous- passed away from stranger to strange, leaving a river of blood behind it. I searched for it for _years_ but I couldn’t find it! But then, in a quite village in Germany, I started hearing murmurs of a wizard with a wand as white as bone. And I waited- and waited- until fate was finally by my side. The wizard passed away a peaceful death- and at night, I went to his grave and dug up the wand. It was beating, Mister Potter, as though it had a heart! I knew- from legends- what it contained, and I couldn’t- I just _couldn’t_ \- once I got it…. I put it away. I hid it. Hoped no one would ever be paired with it. _But I was wrong_.”

“Whose heart was it? According to the legends.” Harry asked, mesmerized by the story. 

“No one knows. A mystery. Some say it contains the heart and bones of the first wizard. Others say death itself hid his own heart there. But those who were there when it was made are long gone and you can’t ask the dead such question.” His voice was grave.

“Why? Surly there’s a way to speak to the dead?”

“You could, but the problem is, they might answer.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!!!


	10. Lucky Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detective Harry and meeting the Slytherins

The return to Hogwarts had been a happy one. Harry and Amare talked away their holiday, busy making up for the lost time. He told her about his venture to the third floor corridor, much to her disappointment at having missed that. He burned with desire to get to the library already and read about Nicolas Flamel. What could possibly be of such value to intimidate even the supposedly powerful Albus Dumbledore? Amare’s theory (and Harry’s too) was that Dumbledore wanted to test Harry with whatever was hidden. Would he be tempted to keep it to himself, or would he help secure it and leave it be? Harry was no saint and if he would so like, he would take it in a heartbeat. 

The usual hassle of students talking excitedly about their time apart filled the castle during the first week of school. Harry was pleasantly surprised to find his garden still growing but noticed one plant in particular ate his closest companion. He cringed at the brutality of magical plants, and after exchanging hellos with Neville, began planning how to use those qualities to his advantage. A plant or a human- would it differentiate between the two?

Malfoy caught Harry in the library, at the end of the first week. It was a cold Friday afternoon and the amount of snow outside made the ground glow. Harry warmed himself up by conjuring a little blue flame inside a jar, hidden away from Madam Pince’s stern gaze .He had just been reading about the life of Flamel and his many accomplishments when he was interrupted unexpectedly by the shuffle of feet in front of him. 

“Potter.” Malfoy said awkwardly, if determinedly. Harry raised an eyebrow in question. “How were the Holidays?” he continued unsurely. 

“Insightful,” he answered shortly. If the pale boy wanted something out of him he better get straight to the point- Harry hadn’t forgotten his annoyance with the boy. Draco noticed Harry’s lack of interest and took a deep breath. 

“I wanted to…apologize,” he talked as though reading out of a parchment and Harry’s eyebrows lifted up, “It was unbecoming of me to antagonize a fellow heir. I wish to extend a hand of peace and hopefully future friendship, which would greatly benefit the both of us.” He finished and nodded to himself subconsciously. Harry fought a mocking smile- at least the boy attempted to be mature.

“Pass my regards to Lucius- tell him I accept his apology,” he watched with a calculated stare as Draco turned red at the implication, “You, on the other hand… are up to debate.” Draco’s face fell. It was clear he wanted to reply but held himself back.

He silently judged the boy for a few minutes as he thought. Friendship with Draco would benefit him due to his connections to Lucius and thus to many, _many_ , important individuals in the Ministry. Lucius was a figure to watch out for. Many whispers surrounded the man- whispers of _dark_ deeds. And he could vouch for Sirius, if Harry so needed. But Draco… he could get him closer to the Slytherins. They would follow him, wouldn’t they?

“My preposition is this- You take me to the Slytherin common room, introduce me and I will agree to tolerate your existence near me.” He finished with a smile that contradicted his cold train of thoughts. Draco frowned at the not do hidden insult, but what could he do? He couldn’t disappoint his father.

“I accept.”

“ _Lovely_ ”

*******

_One_

_Two_

_Three_

Harry lazily tossed Neville’s rememberall like a yo-yo using his magic as he laid in bed, Neville quietly reading a book across him.

_Four_

_Five_

He set up so quickly and suddenly, Neville let out a yelp and dropped his book. He looked at the small ball in his hands. He made it go up and down simply because he so desired. He opened the door leading to the forbidden corridor because he wanted it to open. Hell, he once threw a man against the wall for the same reason- _because he wanted_. Did he even need a wand at all? What was the extent of his abilities? Could he will anything he wanted to happen? 

He looked at Loki and concentrated for a second on conjuring food for the little guy.

Nothing.

He imagined the food he had stored in his trunk and willed it to appear on his bedside table. _Success_!

“ _There you go_ ,” he quietly murmured to Loki as he gave him a treat.

“How do you do that mate?” Neville asked confused. He stood beside one of the bed columns and watched the scene with pure fascination.

“Well…” huh, “I just want something and it happens, I guess.”

“Wicked,” he smiled, “you know, I’m not surprised you can do all that- you are pretty powerful.”

“You know something about this?” Harry asked curiously. He wouldn’t put it past Neville to have random knowledge like that. 

“Gran always used to read me stories, when I was young, about Merlin. The stories say that he could cast magic without a wand or anything- pretty cool, if you ask me,” he scratched his head in thought, “I think she was hoping the stories would rub on me and I would become good in magic myself- though it was specifically said only Merlin and his heirs could do that, so really I’m not sure what…” he lost track of himself.

“You are a good wizard, Neville, no need to sell yourself short.”

“Thanks mate.” He smiled at him and set back on his bed, picking up his fallen Herbology book. Harry stood up and stretched slightly intending to head to the library. A little reading never hurt anybody. The common room was loud and packed, the students preferring to stay inside. He spotted Ron playing chess with Dean, Seamus chatting with Parvati next to them. The fire was roaring, painting the room in a yellow hue, the portraits yelling out to one another, Hermione was hunched over some big and heavy book in a comfortable chair near the back. He gave her a wave, which she returned enthusiastically, before heading towards the portrait of the fat lady. 

“And where are you headed to-”

“On this fine afternoon?”

“Fred, George,” he nodded in greeting. They ambushed him and blocked his way out, matching grins on both their faces. 

“We hope you had a nice holiday-“Fred said.

“Insightful and all that,” George winked his way, making Harry think the twins overheard his conversation with Malfoy.

“You two would know, wouldn’t you.” Harry playfully said, eyebrow raised. They shared a look before taking a stand on either side of Harry. They weren’t much taller than him, considering they were already third years. 

“We really hope you didn’t have any plans,” they began walking, one hand each on his back, arguing him to move.

“Because it’s time we showed you our secret.” As they moved he felt a pair of eyes following him. Sending a glance back his eyes landed on Ron, who quickly looked down, still frowning in confusion.

The trio moved quickly through halls and staircases, taking shortcuts Harry hadn’t known about but filed away for future use. Fred and George kept up their amusing little conversation and said hello here and there to ghosts and students from their year. They headed down a corridor familiar to Harry and he asked with confusion- “Why are we going to the Defence classroom?”

“Not the classroom-“

“We want what’s near it.” They stopped right in front of an ugly statue of an one-eyed witch. Harry watched passively as the twins checked that no one was behind them.

“This is it-“

“One of the keys to our success.” They moved their hands in a tuh-duh type of way on each side of the statue.

“This?” Harry looked closer searching for clues. Fred grinned before tapping the hump with a wand and quietly saying –“ _Dissendium”_ to the witch. The hump opened just wide enough for a small person to slide down to what had to be a hidden passageway.

“Where does it lead?” Harry asked, impressed.

“To the cellar of Honeydukes-“

“In Hogsmeade. The village near the school.” 

“Quite useful for restoring our pranking supplies.” Fred finished as George nodded in agreement.

“Neat,” He grinned, “How did you find it? Or did you just tap any random hump during your first year? Most would consider it rude, you know…” 

“Oh, our dear pupil,” George dramatically said, perfectly mimicking Professor Flitwick, “We shall tell you- in due time.”

“Now, as we agreed- Teach us.” Fred said enthusiastically.

“It’s simple, really,” he smirked, “all you have to do is want it.” The twins shared looks of confusion, “Well, we want to know, if that’s what you’re saying.” Fred said.

“No, no. That’s the lesson- you have to want it. To will it into existence,” Now he was smiling wide. Oh, the joys of giving vague answers- Dumbledore could definitely relate.

“You sneaky prat,” George grinned, “Should have been a Slytherin that one, right Fred?”

“Most definitely.” Fred was still thinking hard, “Let’s go George- we have a riddle to solve.”

“Bye boys,” Harry smiled innocently as he waved his hand in goodbye. He stood for a minute more beside the statue, tempted to go explore, but he knew Amare would kill him if he didn’t share this with her. Sighing, he resumed his walk to the library. Maybe he should have brought Hermione with him- she was so brainy.

The quite greeted him as he stepped inside, the only noise being the moving pages and low whispers of studying students. He always felt a sense of calm here, surrounded by rows upon rows of books. He went to his usual spot by one of the large windows and leaned back, bringing a book about advanced Charms closer to him. He must have been there for a few hours, carefully memorizing each line, because when he looked up the sun had already set.

“Harry!” Amare called out quietly, Zabini by her side,” You missed dinner!” They took a sit each.

“Bummer, I wanted some hot chocolate,” He replied, putting his book aside.

“‘ _Extreme Incantations_ ’” Zabini read the title, “What, needed some light reading?”

“As a matter of fact- I did.” Harry shrugged as Amare snorted, “Wanted to get my head away from much complicated matters.”

“Do tell,” he said, intrigued. Amare shot Harry a questioning gaze. They hadn’t yet shared with Blaise any information about…well anything, really.

“Do you know who Nicolas Flamel is?” Harry asked, testing the waters.

“Only by name,” Blaise answered. Harry hummed in disappointment. “I know he has a lot of inventions in the alchemy field,” Blaise quickly continued, trying to gain Harry’s favor,” But of course he is most know for the philosopher’s stone.”

“What’s that?” Amare asked. Harry set up-Of course! This was it, the missing piece.

“The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary alchemical substance with magical properties. It can be used to create the Elixir of Life-“

“Which makes the drinker immortal, as well as transform any metal into pure gold.” Harry quickly finished Zabini’s sentence. His eyes moving frantically from one book cover to another as his mind swirled with thoughts. The Elixir of Life! Who wouldn’t want that? Who wouldn’t be tempted? Was that Dumbledore’s plan? Tempt Harry with it?

“Talk about wonders of magic… Infinite gold? Infinite _life_?” Amare looked at Blaise.

“Yeah, it’s cool- isn’t it?”

“I mean- takes the fun and thrill out of living…”

Harry blocked their voices. His eyes landed on a cover of a book he had purchased before Hogwarts. How could he had been so stupid? ‘ _Modern Magical History_ ’ stood before his eyes. It was like he had transformed back in time, reading for the first time about his parents killer. _Voldemort_.

_He_ would want it. _He_ would need it.

“But what if you aren’t alive?” Harry whispered slowly, his gaze unseeing. Amare and Blaise exchanged worried stares, “What if you _need_ the Elixir of Life?”

“Harry…How could you use it if you aren’t alive? It doesn’t bring back the dead,” Amare gently challenged him.

“But if you were a dark and powerful wizard you would find a way to stay alive- even if just barely-,” he spoke quickly as if trying to catch up to his own train of thoughts,” A ghost or even, I don’t know- a spirt! Something! You can’t take the stone yourself, right? Cause you don’t even have a body! But you could send someone for you- someone smart enough and loyal enough not to be tempted to take it for himself-“

“Are you talking about The Dark Lord?” Blaise raised an eyebrow, but Amare followed Harry’s thoughts with a frown.

“One of his followers would do that. But if it’s really hidden here, how could they get in?” She wondered out loud. 

“Only teachers and students are allowed in.” Zabini shrugged, but Harry looked at Amare and saw her come to the same conclusion.

“It’s a teacher. Has to be. Students are too young to be followers- he vanished before most of them were born.” Amare filled the Slytherin in. He looked in disbelief at them both. 

“That’s kind of crazy, you know.”

Harry remembered what Percy said at his first feast- ‘ _Professor Quirrell, he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts- used to be the Muggle Studies Professor, but after he came back from his break he switched subjects_.’

Why would he suddenly change subjects? Stuttering Professor Quirrell, who didn’t even require them to use a wand… Who would look so much less intimidating than, say, Snape.

“ _Genius_.” Harry breathed out. He stood up and ran out of the library and back toward the Defence classroom, Amare and Zabini right behind him. Knocking on the door he got his wand ready. After a few seconds he heard footsteps coming closer.

“Mister P-P-P-Potter?” Quirrell asked, holding the door open, surprised to see students out at such a late hour.

“I was just wondering, Professor- Are vampires part of the final exam?” He asked innocently his eyes wide.

“Y-Y-Yes, now hurry b-b-b-back, it’s almos-s-s-st curfew.” And he closed the door.

“What was that for?” Amare angrily asked as they walked to the Grand Staircase. Satisfied, Harry smiled.

“Needed to check something.” 

“Crazy- both of you.” Zabini shook his head.

They wouldn’t understand, but Harry did. He had just gotten all the confirmation he would ever need.

Professor Quirrell had a blood red core. 

***

Life at Hogwarts continued steadily. Harry payed close attention to Quirrell at all times, staying quite during his lessons for the first time since the beginning of the year. When Dean asked what was up, he played it off as exam stress. It helped that Hermione took to lecturing students about the importance of homework and schedule planning.

“You really should pay more attention in History class, Harry,” she sternly said, after she caught him reading his mail instead of taking notes. In his defense he had already read all the material before school and Bins was deadly boring- No pun intended. 

“And why would I do that if I can just copy yours?” he said lazily as they walked to the Great Hall together for lunch.

“Who says I will let you?” Hermione replied angrily. Harry was about to argue but before he could Amare and Blaise reached them, hands full of heavy books.

“You really shouldn’t let him, you know.” The pretty girl said, her blue eyes shining in the gloomy light, “And you, Harry, need to study more.”

“Thank you!” Hermione raised her hands in relief, “Finally! Someone with a sense of logic!” 

He watched, offended, as the girls headed together to the Gryffindor table, leaving him and Blaise behind. “ _Girls_ , I’m telling you…” Blaise shook his head. Harry silently agreed. 

“Oi Harry- I forgot!” he suddenly said, taking out a small piece of parchment, “Malfoy asked me to pass this to you,”

_Finally_!

**Come to the Slytherin common room after dinner.**

**The password is Pureblood.**

The common room looked exactly as he had expected- over the top and cold.

Green dominated the furniture much in the same way red in Gryffindor had, and the enormous window looked into the calm underwater of the Lake. A few students were sitting beside the fire on carved chairs, but most were divided into groups of three, sitting close together, speaking in low whispers. He knew Amare and Zabini were busy studying in the library- a fact he would take full advantage of.

Draco and his group of friends sat on the sofas near the window. He mentioned for Harry to come closer, and so he did- ignoring all the looks of judgment thrown his way, especially be the upper years.

“Potter, lovely of you to join us,” Malfoy sleekly said. In Harry’s opinion it would be _them_ who would be joining _him_.

“This is Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle,” The two goons always following Malfoy like lost puppies set directly opposite him, with permanent looks of confusion, “Over there are Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass- they gossip like mad, wouldn’t suggest you anger them,“

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Harry politely said. Parkinson reminded him of a pug but Greengrass was a real beauty. And she turned a delicious shade of red when she blushed. He shot her a quick smile.

“Next to them is Theodore Nott, “Harry nodded at the reclusive boy, “And of course you already know Zabini and Amare, they will come later.”

“I heard you are good with Charms,” Greengrass said gently.

“Draco’s better.” Parkinson said smugly, sending Malfoy her ugly smile. Daphne shot her an angry look before huffing and staring out to the lake, where a pack of Grindylows swam by.

“Is he?” Harry smiled sweetly but all could pick up the dangerous undertone. Draco looked torn between defending himself and pleasing Harry, but neither would find out what he chose to do since at that moment a hand grabbed Harry’s shoulder tightly and turned him around.

“You don’t belong here.” The tall and broad boy said. He was clearly an upper year- a sixth maybe. Harry didn’t even flinch. The group of first year’s stood up tensely and watched the scene.

“And who are you to decide?” he coldly replied, searching the black eyes for answers. The response seemed to anger the boy further since he took out his wand and pressed it hard against Harry’s pale neck.

“I’m stronger than you, more powerful than you- better than you would ever dream of being,” the boy whispered dangerously. Harry was amused. This _idiot_ thought himself so grand. He could feel adrenaline flowing through his veins, waiting for the right moment to strike down.

“ _Marcus_ …” he heard the feminine voice of Daphne cautiously warning the boy.

“When would you stop being blinded by a pretty face?” He meanly threw at the girl. 

“Oh so you think I’m pretty? Thanks but I’m not inte-“Harry chocked as Marcus gripped his neck.

“Leave him!” panicked Daphne but in vain. Marcus wanted to teach Harry a lesson- a painful one. Pity Harry didn’t care. He put his hand on the older boy’s heart and concentrated for a second. He wanted it to leave a mark. He wanted it to _burn_.

Marcus let out a yell and dropped his wand, trying to get Harry’s hand away from him. _Pathetic_. It was now Harry’s turn to grab his shoulder and watch those black eyes scream with pain as Marcus dropped lower and lower to the floor, until he was on his knees.

“Right where you belong,” Harry whispered sweetly removing his hand from the boy’s heart and caressing his face tenderly. Tears streamed down his face as he fought the blackness threatening to take him, “Because you know, deep down, you _deserve_ to be punished.”

He watched with satisfaction as Marcus dropped to the floor, his chest visible to all. His shirt was torn and burnt, the shape of a hand forever scalded into his chest like a mark.

Gryffindor’s understood bravery, impulsiveness. But Slytherin’s – they understood _power_. Lucky them. Harry had plenty to go around. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. His Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Voldemort and Runes.

“ _’Hogsmeade Village, or simply called Hogsmeade, is the only all-wizarding village in Britain. It was founded by Hengist of Woodcroft.’_ Humm…Oh, how fascinating! Hogsmeade served as the wizards' headquarters during a goblin rebellion in- Harry are you listening?”

“Wha- Of course.” Amare rolled her eyes and continued reading through _Hogwarts, A History_. The couple used the most anticipated Quidditch match of the year as a cover to sneak into the nearby village for the day, since neither cared much for the sport.

They strolled the pastoral streets and watched the many lovely small wizarding shops, pointing out occasionally interesting artifacts. Harry had been surprised to find a branch of Ollivander’s shop there, and excitedly stood at the display window of Dogweed and Deathcap, watching the different plants presented. Amare almost ran towards J. Pippin's Potions shop and dragged Harry behind her, only to get distracted halfway by Tomes and Scrolls and the many books inside.

The weather was getting better and better as the school year progressed and Harry had been very pleased by the sun beams painting the village golden. He watched, smiling, as Amare closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the warmth, the first sign of freckles showing on her delicate nose.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, keeping her eyes closed. They stood near one of the fences at the edge of Hogsmeade, the trees casting funny shadows on the ground.

“You, the stone, our plan.” He simply said, his gaze never leaving her, “It has been a very packed year.” She smiled wide, her teeth shining like pearls.

“It has been, hasn’t it? Pity we couldn’t spend all our time together.” Harry looked to the side, his stomach twisting ever so slightly. He preferred watching the newly bloomed flowers shifting slightly at the breeze, no matter that not even the prettiest rose could compare to the beautiful girl next to him. 

“Well, you have your new friends to entertain, and I have you to myself during the summer.”

“What are you going to do with the stone, once you get it?” She changed the subject, no doubt present in her voice at Harry’s abilities to overcome any obstacle in his way.

“Keep it, store it. I’m sure I will find what to do with it in the future.” He shrugged. They stood in calm silence for a couple more minutes, simply enjoying the moment. Harry felt slightly melancholic, as he watched a family of kittens ran past them and into the woods. It had been quite some time since he last looked through his parents’ photo album. He feared the day he would become as old as they were. He feared mulling over what they would have thought about what he had done. 

He could feel it, the darkness. It was calling to him, whispering pleasantries in his ears at night. The faces of the Slytherins after he had branded Marcus were fresh in his mind. Fear- that was what he saw. What a strange emotion. Once there it was very difficult to remove- like a stain. They watched, their eyes full of it. They moved through the halls with a certain air of concern, looking over their shoulder. He didn’t blame them.

Marcus never complained to any of the teachers. He never showed any sign of being affected. But Harry saw it. The jumpiness, the clenched hands. The Sweat.

The hierarchy of the school was shifting, slowly but surely.

“You know, Blaise could never compare to you,” Amare shook him out of his thoughts. She finally looked at him, awaiting his next move. Harry knew the Slytherin boy couldn’t- at least not if you compared them with an unbiased eye.

“He could be the worst wizard in the world,” he slowly said,” it doesn’t matter. What matters is how you see him.” And with that he turned his gaze from the beautiful flowers and began walking towards the castle.

***

Gryffindor lost the match, to the surprise of no one. Neville sat heavily at the table during dinner, disappointment clear on his face. Harry spotted Ron and Seamus in a heated debate about whether the Slytherins cheated or not. As if two first years would ever catch any of the Quidditch players without getting hexed to the infirmary first.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure next year will be better…” he tried comforting his friend. Neville played with the potatoes on his plate sadly.

“And where were you exactly?” Hermione sat opposite him, putting down a large book on the table with a loud thud.

“Studying with Amare,” he casually said. He knew someone was bound to notice their absence. Hermione smiled happily at him and told Neville to stop playing with his food.

The year approaching to an end didn’t only mean warm weather. The teachers took Hermione’s stance on the homework matter and piled so much on them, the students hardly had any free time left. Most preferred to stay the Easter Holidays at the castle in order to prepare for the exams and not trail behind.

Neville and Hermione were, more often than not, huddled together in a cozy corner of the common room, reciting different spells and historical events. Even Amare decided to help Neville with his potion’s work, writing careful notes about each ingredient. 

Harry, not unlike the rest of his peers, studied carefully and deliberately- just not the school material. Bill Weasley started sending him book recommendations on basic Runes and the most useful ones he should know. Apparently Runes were symbols representing various sound values, belonging to a runic alphabet. The Runes themselves could be used both as an alphabet or as stand-in for whole words. In order for the Runes to be activated and work as enchantments, blood had to be used- making it illegal now days. Bill worked with ancient Runes, meaning all were activated and very dangerous.

Of course Harry didn’t care much for what was legal and what wasn’t- he only cared about the end result. The only problem he quickly encountered was that he simply couldn’t activate any of the Runes he drew. The beautiful artistry of writing them and putting together words came almost naturally, but then, as he made a small cut on his hand and let the blood hit the Rune, he found himself too exhausted physically to complete the activation.

The fact hadn’t surprised him greatly- annoyed would be a more accurate term. He never had any proper meals when he had been a child, and even after living with Amare the last couple of years the notion of having large meals was still foreign to him. He was all skin and bones.

So, to his dismay, he pulled himself together and packed his plates to the full, even going as far as to eat snacks throughout the day.

Amare saw all that as positive changes to his lifestyle and smiled happily each time she saw him at the Great Hall. She really was glowing lately, surrounded by peers her age, living a much more humble lifestyle far away from the pressure of perfection presented by her status. Once they really got to talking, Amare and Hermione found themselves becoming fast friends. Harry wasn’t surprised- he knew the two bookworms would one days bond over their shared love for knowledge. He could see them exchanging notes, discuss their favorite muggle movies and even sitting by the lake together.

Harry was happy Amare found friends. She used to have none back home and she never showed it bothered her. But Harry noticed the way she quieted down when a large group of friends went by them, or when they were alone during breaks.

The only problem presented by befriending Hermione was the disapproval of her Slytherin peers. She didn’t seek it, and didn’t care much about them. She took to sitting at the Gryffindor table much more- to the disappointment of Zabini. 

***

It had been a lovely afternoon, the first exam was just a few weeks away. It seemed like the only first year to be calm about the whole situation had been Harry, who spent an abnormally large amount of time in the library.

Or so his friends thought. In reality he had been sneaking into the Forbidden Forest, trying desperately to make his suitcase charm proofed using Runes. By the rate he was going people would begin suspecting something was seriously wrong with him. He cut his palm more times than he could count, and now opted for his leg instead.

“ _Come on, come on_ …” he murmured to himself, watching the three drops of blood hit the dragon skin of his maroon trunk. He watched the Rune turn to a dull yellowish color, and suppressed a yawn, his body tiring quickly. He knew the Rune was supposed to glow golden and the frustration of his failure kicked in.

“ **Damnit**!” he abruptly stood up from the tiny patch of grass. He took a deep breath and looked upwards, stretching his neck. The trees stood so tightly together the light could barely sneak in and although he had a few hours till nighttime, he stood in almost complete darkness.

The forest had a certain mystery about it- the strange noises reaching his ears from an unknown source, the wild plants ready to strike, the wind coming from seemingly nowhere. He loved it. It reminded him of the library, only the knowledge had not been presented to him by books, but by living, breathing creatures. When he slowly caressed the ancient trees he could almost _feel_ them whispering their long forgotten secrets, the soil rich with bloodshed. 

He sighed and lazily looked to the side, already planning his next trip back here tomorrow, only to stop short. There was something thick and silvery splashed on the roots. He knew what it was- _unicorn blood_. To kill a unicorn… only the truly desperate would choose such a road. Fortunately Harry knew a just the guy.

Quickly shrinking his trunk and putting it in his pocket, he slowly and quietly made his way to the blood. It seemed to get thicker the further he followed the trail and a feeling akin to excitement built up in his stomach.

Finally after a couple of minutes a blinding white reached his eyes and he carefully watched the dead unicorn, staying hidden behind massive branches. He wanted to catch a glimpse of _him_. He wanted to see for himself the most powerful dark lord of all time.

He was about to head back, the minutes passed and nothing happened. But then he felt it- felt _him_. The temperature dropped and the branches shook with unexplainable wind before suddenly it all just… 

_froze_.

Not a sound was heard, as though all living presence hid and cowered before him. He felt him like he felt smoke. It surrounded Harry, entering his lungs and chocking him ever so slightly. It stuck to his clothes and to his hair in a way that would surly remain even in a weeks’ time.

He felt it whispering in his ears, calling him- the darkness. _His_ darkness. 

Harry stood mesmerized in his spot, the cloaked figure came closer and closer to the unicorn, with an elegance so unlike what he had expected from a dead man.

When Voldemort started drinking the blood, Harry ran away as quietly as he could. He didn’t stop until he back inside the castle, until he went up all the seven floors to his common room.

Was he scared of Voldemort? He would be a fool not to be.

But he was much more afraid of the unmistakable and undeniable pull he felt towards the dark lord. He was afraid because Voldemort was drawing him into the darkness softly, and Harry might just give in. 

He was left with many questions but with only one clear objective. He must get the stone before Voldemort does- for if he doesn’t, and _he_ returns to full power, Harry didn’t know on which side of the war he would find himself.

***

Quirrell grew paler with each lesson. Harry watched him nervously pulling at his fingers, sweat gathering above his brows. He, of course, told Amare about his encounter at the forest, conveniently leaving his strange pull towards the Dark Lord to himself. They both agreed that Quirrell was waiting for the right opportunity to slip into the corridor on the third floor, but with so many nervous students coming up to him, he hardly had free time.

Harry himself was waiting for _something_ , anything, to show him that this was it. He didn’t know what was behind the three headed dog, but he already found a way to pass it.

The answer he was seeking came to him most unexpectedly in the form of a package on his bed. It was wrapped in old brown wrapping, as if trying to look as unassuming as possible. As he picked it up, a substance that looked like shining silvery liquid slithered onto the bed. Curiously he read the note attached-

**_Your father left this in my possession before he died._**

**_It is time it was returned to you._ **

**_Use it well._ **

**_Good Luck_ **

When he put it on, he felt like it was second skin. It was there and not there at the same time- the materiel as though disappearing and reappearing constantly, like atoms shifting apart only to attach themselves back together again. 

He looked at himself in the mirror and saw nothing. And that was the moment he knew- It was time to take the stone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first year is coming to an end yay!   
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter...


	12. Shall we, my Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry goes after the stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any grammar mistakes lads. It just be like that sometimes.

It was calling to him, whispering softly. He glided across the cold stone floor of Hogwarts, carefully hidden beneath the invisibility cloak. No one would dare stop him- not tonight. Not when it lured him in so gently, not when the world behind him stopped in a blurry picture.

And there it was- the old wooden door, leading to whatever grandiose challenges no doubt protected the stone. Would he be strong enough? Would he be too late? But no, he couldn't be- for Quirrell was still teaching, still terrified at the prospect of failing his master. Once again, Harry gently placed his hand on the door and willed it to open. Once again it creaked and crumbled beneath his will. The air seemed different this time, as if recognizing a true contestant for the stone, and the three headed dog sniffed and snarled trying desperately to catch Harry.

He wasted no time, not wishing for the creature to wake the castle up, and quietly took out a beautifully carved silver flute he had borrowed from Flitwick. Praying the guardian wouldn't notice he had no idea how to actually play it, he brought it to his lips and a gentle tune carried on. The music seemed to echo in the small empty room, creating a truly haunting melody which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. The longer he stood by the door playing, the louder it seemed to get, surrounding the creature as it moved its three heads sharply, trying to figure out the source of the music- until finally it opened its eyes wide and with a loud whimper slowly lowered its heads to the ground, where it promptly fell asleep.

Harry had no desire finding out how long it would stay that way and he hurried towards the trap door located right beside the creature. It looked like a dark and bottomless drop down, but the obscurity was more inviting than the brightest fire and so with a smile, he jumped down.

Down right into a moist plant. Yew. He tried getting up but found the plant to be sticky and it covered his hand with.... "Oh, that's gross," he groaned quietly as he tried wiping away the substance. He was partially blind from the darkness and his outstretched hand touched the dump wall. He was just about to reach for his wand when a wet crawling sound reached his ears. How did he not notice it before? It filled the room, disgusting and uncomfortable, as if a hundred snakes where slithering on the floor.

And then he felt it- a slight pressure on his feet, spreading up towards his thighs as the plant twisted itself around him in its deadly embrace. He tried not to panic, he really did- but he felt trapped and the air was leaving his lungs faster and faster but whatever little air he could breathe in was wet and moist and clang to his throat and refused to complete its journey. He felt warmer and warmer as he was being covered- by his own sweat or by the plant, he didn't know, but the panic was settling and he did the only thing he could- he screamed.

People never posed a real threat on him, they were predictable and common and usually beat with force. But plants living in the darkness were unbeatable, hundreds of years old, withstanding empires and wars, growing stronger and stronger for the sole purpose of preservation and survival. But Harry grew in the darkness just like them, and he too became stronger in order to survive. The only difference? He stepped into the light, and burned brighter than the wildest of fires. And in that moment, as he was suffocated by the warmth and his own screams, he stepped into the light once more- and burned.

His skin was on fire and the plant surrounding him quickly retreated, but in his unstopping terror he only burned brighter, a fire spreading out from his hands and up his arms, and as he touched the ground the plant went up in flames. Finally he was calm, looking around him at the beautiful yellow and orange painting the walls. The room stretched for miles and throughout it all a massive fire was destroying the last remains of the plant.

As he dropped down once again, he couldn't help but feel at peace at the sight of such beauty.

***

His footsteps were silent and dangerous as what he had just experienced settled in. He wouldn't make such carless mistakes once more, he wouldn't let his guard down. The corridor was long and cold, miles and miles beneath the school- What was it build for? And by whom?

Quiet buzzing began sounding from the locked door at the end of the hall, but Harry didn't want to touch it or anything else, his hand still sticky and warm. And so it opened for him just as he reached it, because he so desired, and, as he ignored the flying keys the room contained, the second door opened for him too.

He stood in front of enormous chess pieces on top of a huge marble chess board. A distant thought of Ron crossed his mind, as he remembered the countless times he saw the boy playing chess in the common room. With a sigh he moved towards the large black knight and caressed the horse gently. Immediately it sprang to life and pawed at the ground.

"I am guessing I have to win," he moved his head slightly towards the door hidden behind the white chess pieces. The empty face of the knight unsettled him and it nodded in agreement. "I'll play the king."

He watched as the regale looking chess piece took long, heavy steps off the board and he walked and took its place. The Queen turned its head towards him, her beautifully carved features reminded him of Amare. "Shall we, my Queen?" It could have been a play of the light, but he could swear he saw the tips of its lips lift up.

"Right... Pawn to D4!"

The game was cruel and unforgiving. Each chess piece lost would be torn to shreds, and the numbers were stacking up. The Whites were clever and cunning, managing to block most of his strategies. But Harry was determent and unforgiving and the door moved closer and closer with each small victory.

After half an hour, Harry still stood in his place as the King and commander. He watched the now wrecked board with only a few pieces left. Logically the next move was obvious to all but his eyes frantically moved from one piece to another as he ran through various scenarios. His Queen stood proud and tall and as it turned its head towards him, he saw not a stone piece but Amare.

He knew this would come the moment he began playing, for her fate was sealed as he chose the safest strategy- The Queen's Gambit. His eyes were cold and empty as he sacrificed his Queen. She looked at him as she broke down, stone by stone, and Harry couldn't help but shudder at the single tear rolling down her cheek. A quick shake of his head and the Queen was once again just a stone chess piece, and he himself was crowned victor- but fear planted itself in his heart, its roots deep and cold, and not for the first time he wondered if he was leading his Queen to sacrifice.

***

When Harry thought about the dangers guarding the stone he never imagined a single mirror standing in an empty room. It was almost as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. He took off the invisibility cloak and stood silently, watching. The moment his reflection reached the mirror something changed- he no longer stood alone but with three figures surrounding him. He quickly looked behind but saw only the door he had come from. Moving closer, the figures took shape, and with a start he recognized Amare standing near him at the front. She was smiling at mirror Harry and once she noticed him standing, she smiled at him too.

_His parents_. Those were the two older figures standing behind them. His heart clenched painfully as he watched them smiling at him, their hands touching mirror Harry's shoulders. They were so young, so painfully young, and Harry couldn't stop himself from running towards them and desperately trying to touch the surface- as if it would magically transport him to them. 

Happiness and contentment, that was what mirror Harry must have felt- happiness and contentment and so much love.

He didn't know how long he stood there, transfixed, he only knew he never wanted to leave.

"Why did you leave me..." he murmured. He already discovered they weren't able to answer but he wanted- no, he **_needed_** \- to talk to them. "Do you think you could have loved me, despite it all?" Lily's smile turned sad and she brought a hand to her heart.

"I have never known you, and yet I miss you every. single. day." His eyes burned with unshed tears, "Why could you not have taken me with you? We could have been happy- I could have been happy." They didn't answer, just continued smiling sadly," You left me **alone**! I needed you, and you left me!" his whispers turned to yells, and his hands griped the frame. He was surprised to discover he was angry- angry at his parents, angry he had to sufferer, angry he was alone and confused and abandoned. He was angry they had to die. "How is any of this fair?" his broken whisper echoed around the empty room.

He couldn't bear watching them and yet he couldn't turn away. What a fitting final task, because how could he have ever beat his heart's desire.

"Stupid stone," he angrily sighed," not worth it at all."

At his words Lily's face lit with joy. She pulled something out of her pocket and outstretched her hand towards him.

It was a blood- red stone. The fucking Philosopher's stone was hidden inside the mirror. Harry wanted to personally punch Dumbledore.

Lily kept her hand outstretched and her face turned urgent. "I can't reach inside the mirror!"

She began mouthing something. He focused for a second until he figured out what she was saying, over and over again- ' _take it, take it, take it'_.

"I can't!" if only he could reach out, if only he could touch her hand. Mirror Harry smiled and took the stone from Lily and proceeded to put it inside his pocket. Suddenly Harry felt something heavy drop inside his very real pocket.

The Elixir of Life was in his hand. He looked at the figures in the mirror, finally smiling just as wide. Amare mouthed one single word- ' _Go'._

"I will see you soon." He promised her and proceeded to ran towards the door. Casting one last look behind him, he wanted to carve his parents figures into his very being. They smiled and waved, their faces lit up by a yellow light. 

And behind them Britain burned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see, haha ... sorry about that...   
> Hope you like this little update!!! I will try to be more consistent but my life is kind of hectic and most of the time I feel too drained to write.   
> Anyways, stay safe everyone and wear a mask!!


	13. I Slept Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Harry and his emotional trauma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any grammar mistakes.  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Harry woke up refreshed the first time in many days. Sleep came slowly and most of the time left quickly, making him feel cranky and tired. As he lay in bed, warm rays of sunshine shone through the window, reminding him of the upcoming summer and lazy days spent outside. No more classes or mysteries or three headed dogs. Just him and Amare.

“Harry! Come downstairs, food is ready!” A cheery voice called out. He sighed and smiled gently, his green eyes almost hazel in the golden light. Stretching, he got up and shot a quick look at the mirror. His hair was a mess and his cheek full of pillow marks. It looked like it was going to be one of those days – days spent doing absolutely nothing and enjoying every second of it.

He jogged down the dark wood stairs, taking two at a time. It was too early yet for the floor to be warm from the hot noon sun. “There you are! I was beginning to think you are going to skip your favorite,” Lily exclaimed the moment she saw him. Her hair was sloppily put into a bun, but she made it look oh so elegant- just like everything else she touched.

With a roll of his eyes at her antics he grabbed one pancake from the plate, making her gasp and try grabbing him, only to drop the stolen piece of food right onto the freshly cleaned floor.

“That’s for you to clean,” she stated as they watched the mess.

“Well, if just let me have my way this would have landed in my stomach- so it is your fault. Technically. ” 

“You know, the more you grow up the more I think your father managed to exclude me from your genes.” Harry faked a hurt expression and Lily looked at him with so much love in her green eyes. _His green eyes._

Breakfast was spent in blissful silence only two people truly comfortable with each other could manage. He watched as his mom took small sips of coffee from her cup- the same one he had bought her for mother’s day the previous year, and once in a while passed onto the next page of her magazine. With each bite he felt more and more tension leave his body- _Tension? Why was he even tense? Everything was so perfect_ …

“Mom?” he carefully asked. Her straight hair looked like wildfire in the beams of light coming from the small kitchen window. She continued reading the magazine, her delicate lips frozen in a small sad smile. 

“Hmm?” Uneasiness settled in his stomach- something was wrong, very wrong. But for the life of him he couldn’t remember what!

“Is it okay if Amare comes over tomorrow?” _What was he forgetting_?

She continued flipping pages, losing interest in the boring topics. “Of course darling. Just make sure you are free in the afternoon- we have plans, remember?” _Oh! Of course! He forgot they had plans- how silly of him…_

“Yeah, sure, she probably has to go home by then anyway,” he shrugged and then frowned, “Do you think Sirius will come with us tomorrow? I know he is busy nowadays.” The pancakes were almost demolished by now and Harry felt heavy. Would it be too much to take a nap so soon after waking up?

Lily sighed in frustration and dropped the magazine, affectively angering the lead singer of the Weird Sisters on the cover, “Nothing worth the read! You would think Skeeter would find something more interesting to talk about than Fudge’s supposed affair with his secretary-”

The chill of the night disappeared completely and Harry pulled at his sweater trying to let some of the air touch his skin. His breathes were coming faster and faster and sweat began pooling above his brow. “Sirius?” he reminded her. _Why was it so damn hot?_

“Oh,” Lily smiled once again, leaning back against the chair,” Well of course he is going to come, it’s an important event, after all.”

_An event… but which one_. He tried remembering what it was but the humid air was making his head fuzzy. _What was he missing_?

“Are you alright darling? You look off,” her hand touched his shoulder making him jump. It was so warm, so so warm.

“Am fine…” he frowned. If only he could think for one second! He tried focusing on either of the two Lily’s in front of him but their hair was so bright it was hurting his eyes. “Do you know- “was he upside down? Or was it just the room… “Which event- tomorrow?”

The two Lily’s laughed, “How could you forget, silly! It’s our funeral!”

_Funeral_? He fell onto the chair, too heavy to get up. “But it’s the summer,” he lowered his head to the table, trying to stop it from falling down onto the ceiling, “You die during the fall,” He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t breathe. 

“Darling, it’s not the summer,” they looked concerned but the image was ruined by two identical smiles, “Just look outside,”

He stumbled out of the chair, his limbs almost too heavy to lift, but the window was so close, he had to reach it- if only the room would stop spinning.

When he finally looked outside, the small amount of air left his lungs.

“ _You see darling- not summer_!” The five Lily’s said, “ _It’s just the fire! You wanted Brittan to burn, didn’t you?”_

Harry woke up sweating, a silent scream on his lips. It had happen every single night since he had gotten the philosopher’s stone- a nightmare. It felt like hell, watching Amare cry and being shred to pieces, or being suffocated by something slithering in the dark or watching as his vision from the mirror was twisted and turned into a horror story. It reminded him of darker times in his life, times he would rather forget.

The sun hadn’t yet graced the star filled sky but Harry was already up and going about. He had no plans of returning back to sleep- if you could even call it that, it felt more like a very difficult workout. His first stop was usually the shower, were he would pull off his sweat stained pajamas and spend at least half an hour relaxing under the cool water ( _the first time he had showered with warm water after getting the stone he almost passed out from hyperventilating. It was quickly decided to stick to cooler temperatures for the time being_.) He would then try to make himself look as presentable as possible, desperate to cover up the dark circles now permanently adorning his under eyes. He hated them. They looked so off on his young face.

Usually he would head down to the common room, too tired to actually head out, and find something to do until breakfast. The first few days he had spent the hours reading books, but as time went on the lack of sleep caused a very specific pressure behind his eyes, which made it hard to focus on, well, anything really. He then switched to simply laying on the coach near the window, watching the sunrise, talking to Loki in lazy hushed tones as sleepy students ventured out.

He could hear the students whispering about him, throwing glances- “ _What is wrong with him_?”. He tried to ignore them, tried to brush off Amare’s concerns. He lied and lied and lied. _I am fine. Nothing is wrong. I slept okay._ She didn’t buy it. He found himself too tired to actually care. The stone was a heavy burden- one he hadn’t yet shared with his best friend. But he will, in the future, when he won’t breathe too hard while thinking about how he got it. 

***

So caught up in his own little bubble, he hadn’t even noticed it was the last week of the year- his first year at Hogwarts was coming to an unexpected end. Even though he suffered from a dangerous lack of sleep the exams turned out to be just as easy as he had expected, even though both Amare and Hermione frantically compered answers afterwards. He tried to keep up with their ping pong chatter but his brain kept tuning in and out.

Neville seemed to be doing very well, thanks to the girls, and he excitedly talked about his summer plans as they all sat down to eat dinner at the Great Hall.

“… recon you could drop by next month? Gran would be happy to host all of you- ‘think she would be happy that I made friends, really…” Neville asked the group (minus Zabini, who still refused to sit at the Gryffindor table). Harry absent mindedly poked at his salad, flinching when a tomato flew at full speed onto his shirt.

“ _Shit_ \- ah, yeh sure Neville,” he cleaned the tomato juice, Amare quietly snickering across him, “We really don’t have any plans-“

“We could always join Blaise,” Amare said smiling. He tried not to think about how much she looked like her mirror self,” He is visiting France,” she informed the table,” he said there is this really cool potions shop that sells charmed cauldrons and had amazing ingredi…”

Harry frowned as he lost track of her story but couldn’t help but smile at her happiness. She was like a kid in a candy store each time someone so much as mentioned potions. “Sounds great,” he answered noncommittally once he noticed she finished. 

“ _France_ …” sighed Hermione with a dreamy look,” I read about the wizarding center there before coming to Hogwarts, and of course, I had always wanted to visit France even before that- sounds so fascinating, don’t you think? Oh, the food… “And she trailed off, deep in thought. Neville looked at her with amusement. They had gotten quite close during their studying and happily called each other friends. They worked very well together- Hermione loved to talk and Neville… well, he loved to listen.

“I want to invite Malfoy and Greengrass over- what do you think?” he asked Amare, pointing his fork at her. 

“Well, we could invite everyone on our birthdays…”

“Oh- I forgot about that,” taking a bite,” that’s a good idea actually,”

“You _forgot_? Wha-” Neville looked scandalized at the thought. Their chatter was momentarily broken by a loud hoot from a brown owl. It landed right in front of Harry, barely missing his dinner, an envelope proudly held up by the leg.

“At this hour?” Neville questioned. And he wasn’t the only one- looks were thrown at their direction from all over the Hall, including the staff table, where Snape was discreetly eyeing the group. Harry, of course, recognized the owl. It had delivered him plenty of messages throughout the year- but never at such a late hour. Bill must have been too excited to pay attention to the time or else he would have addressed it to the boy’s dormitories.

“It’s nothing really,” Harry said as he untied the envelope, “probably cause I wasn’t here at breakfast,”

“You? Missing breakfast? Unheard of.” Amare huffed under her breath. Her blue eyes scanned him, searching for answers- what was he hiding from her? For how long? He became a master at dodging her, his conscience be damned.

“Answering to fan mail Potter?” the voice of Zabini sounded above him.

“I wish,” he sighed, discreetly putting the letter inside his bag,” fan mail is saved for the mornings, if you are interested,”

“Is it really?” Hermione asked, slightly appalled, earning a laugh from the group. With a brief goodbye Amare got up to walk away with Blaise. He flashed a smile at her which vanished the second the duo began heading out the Hall. He watched hypnotized as her hair swung elegantly from side to side, the black catching the light from the floating candles, making it almost sparkle. 

“…Missing again,” Neville murmured with a frown, “wonder what he does,” Harry hummed absentmindedly, still staring at the now empty space.

“Probably ministry business,” Hermione leaned in mysteriously, “I heard he almost got the minister’s position, but chose to stay at the school instead,” 

“ _Really_ …- wait, who are you talking about?” Harry sharply moved his gaze back to the table.

“Professor Dumbledore,” Hermione said, the ‘obviously’ heard clearly in the air.

“He’s been gone for two days now, nobody knows why,” shrugged Neville. _Interesting_. Harry would bet his right arm it had to do with a certain missing artifact. He was surprised it took them that long to notice it was stolen all things considered, but really, knowing who was behind it all maybe he should have expected it.

Harry let the calm noise of his friends chatter fill his ears for the rest of dinner, as they both thought up conspiracy theories regarding Dumbledore. When they finally made their long way up the stairs, Harry’s mind went back to the letter in his bag, his hands eager to open and read it. Bill never disappointed- be it with good book recommendations or progress on his work, he left Harry with something to look forward to.

And so, sitting by the window at the dormitories, the blurred noise from the rest of his roommates bouncing off the stone walls, he opened it.

**_Harry,_**

**_First of all, I hope you made it through all of your exams (even though knowing you, it probably wasn’t even a bother), and are doing fine. You are almost done with your first year at Hogwarts- congratulations are in order! Pass my best wishes to your friends as well._ **

**_And now to more exciting matters! I simply couldn’t wait for the official Gringotts letter to reach you tomorrow, and had to send one myself._ **

**_We have finally made major progress regarding our project- leaving us with only one protecting rune left. Well- outside at least, the inside is still mostly a mystery. The issue is we need your help in breaking it. You see, it is a family blood rune which, as you might know already, means only a blood member of the tree line can activate it and safely pass through._ **

**_My work aside, I would recommend to not have us destroy it so soon. A mansion with so much protection? Who knows, maybe it would be in your best interests to leave at least some sort of a shield surrounding it. Think about it until we meet._ **

**_Best wishes,_ **

**_Bill Weasley_ **

Huh, a blood rune? Harry frowned and stared out the window. It was dark outside, the lake a soft blue as it reflected the moonlight. It never ceased to surprise him- the amount of stars above Hogwarts. The London air was too polluted to let any of them through, but at Hogwarts the sky sparkled.

He spotted the Dog Star, it twinkled and danced around, dimming and glowing once again. Amare thought him how to spot different constellations. Orion, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Canis Major. The Dog Star shook its tail at him, jumping up and down in excitement. ‘ _I don’t have any treats for you’_ Harry said, but it didn’t listen. Instead it jumped closer and closer until it stood right in front of Harry, sniffling the room. ‘ _Good boy_ ’ he extended his hand to pet its enormous glowing head, but the dog was not happy to be denied food. It growled softly, the sparkling stars extending to the side, creating two identical heads on either side of it.

Harry knew- it was hungry. He had to find treats to give to it, but he couldn’t get up from his hiding spot underneath his bed. The dog gave a sniff at each vacant bed it passed, desperately searching for something to calm down its empty stomach. It had been a long time since it last had had a meal. A simple treat wouldn’t do. Soft dread began filling Harry.

He stopped hearing its sniffling. The only sounds were coming from his own mouth as his short and unsatisfying breathes left quickly. He turned to the other side, wanting to check which bed caught its attention, but found no trace of the beast.

Suddenly he knew what would suffice its empty stomach. No, a simple treat wouldn’t do- _but Harry would_. A hungry growl sounded from above him. It had found his hiding spot. He was going to be eaten. He closed his eyes and pulled his shaking hands closer.

The air became dump and warm. _It was going to get him_.

He woke up panting. He fell asleep by the window, the letter in his hand. It was still dark outside but gentle snores now filled the room.

Time to start his dreadful routine once again.

***

“You are not alright Harry,” pushed Amare. “You can’t keep telling me it’s fine when you barely manage to keep your eyes open. Look at you! You look sick!”

His eyes followed the trees as the train sped through Scotland.

“Do you know when you last acted like that? I’ll tell you- when I first met you. You were unfocused and frowned constantly, you drifted from sentence to sentence, you- you were like a dead man.”

He remembered that. He had to be constantly on guard to survive on the streets and when he finally could relax at Amare’s home he became… _tired_. Spent.

“I just don’t understand what happened. One day- you are fine and dandy, the next day- boom, “she gestured at him,” I want to help you, you know I do, and I can’t do that if you don’t share with me what’s bothering you,”

Bothering him? A lot was bothering him- the priceless stone hidden inside his suitcase, his godfather’s imprisonment, the disappearance of Quirrell, Amare’s death.

“ _Fine_ ,” she sighed angrily,” You want to deal with whatever it is by yourself- _fine_.”

He wasn’t fine. He felt like he was drowning. He needed someone. Someone who could help him. Someone… mature. And with life experience. Someone who would listen and tell him it’s going to be okay.

He needed a parent.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” Amare said sadly,” I worry about you-“

“The stone, the philosopher’s stone,” Harry blankly stated,” I have it. _I have it_.”

“You- you have it.” She stared at Harry with wide eyes.” When… How…”

“I went to the forbidden corridor, and got it.”

She remained speechless for many minutes after Harry’s statement. The air seemed heavy with unsaid words. Together they watched the view change from dark, tall forests to green mountain hills, the sky constantly decorated with the most intricate cloud designs.

He felt… conflicted. On the one hand Amare was his rock, his family. She deserved to know and clearly she wanted to. On the other hand he desperately clang to the notion that the less she knew the safer she would be. One too many nightmares he watched her breaking into pieces leaving him hollow.

“ _Harry_ …” Amare finally broke the silence with a gentle whisper,” If you don’t want to tell me- if you aren’t ready to share, it’s all good. But I can’t watch you in pain and be unable to do anything to ease it. _Please_ …” He looked at her, really looked. He didn’t even notice she herself spotted dark marks underneath her crystal clear eyes. _She really cared_ …Why was he surprised?

He took a deep breath, and told her _everything_. He didn’t stop for the rest of the train ride, once the first sentence left his lips he decided to just share with her his burdens, his fears. And she listened intently, even moving to sit cross-legged next to him, her chin resting on her hands. They bought candy and talked some more. He told her about his nightmares and she held his hand.

He knew it didn’t solve any problem but his chest felt lighter and mind clearer. He felt warm- and not the kind that haunted him. It was the kind that felt like _home_. He felt _loved_.

They were at the station quicker than either expected, goodbyes and promises to keep in touch exchanged between friends.

It was the first night he spent at Amare’s and his home. And he slept okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The older I get the more I don't understand how the trio could just go through all that and be fine. Like Ron nearly died and we just gonna ignore that? No lasting consequences just vibes? Cool Cool Cool.  
> Since this is my fanfiction, I wanted Harry to be affected, even though he is supposed to be powerful and maybe some would say being affected makes him weaker. In my humble opinion there is strength at overcoming trauma or learning to live with it.  
> On a different note- did Harry just finish his first year at Hogwarts??? I am actually shocked I managed to keep up with the story. I never considered myself good at writing. In fact, I never thought I could write at all, so this is just wow. No words. A huge thanks to all of you who read, left kudos and comments- you gave me a bunch of motivation.


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